Formica rufa
Encyclopedia
Formica rufa, also known as the southern wood ant or horse ant, is a boreal
member of the Formica rufa group
of ant
s, commonly found throughout much of Europe in both coniferous and broad-leaf broken woodland and parkland. Workers can measure 8–10 mm in length. They have large mandibles and like many other ant species they are able to dispense formic acid
from their abdomens as a defence. Formic acid was first extracted in 1671 by the English naturalist John Ray
by distilling a large number of crushed ants of this species.
A common diet for a wood ant colony is invertebrates found around the nest, particularly aphids harvested from the surrounding trees, although they are voracious scavengers. Nests of these ants are large, conspicuous, dome-shaped edifices, usually situated in woodland clearings, where the sun's rays can reach them. F. rufa is commonly used in forestry and is often introduced into an area as a form of pest management.
F. rufa is highly polygynous and often re-adopts post-nuptial queens from its own mother colony, leading to old, multi gallery nests which may contain well over a hundred egg-producing females. These colonies can often measure several metres in height and diameter. Formica rufa is aggressively territorial, and will often attack and remove other ant species from the area. Nuptial flight
s take place during the springtime and are often marked by savage battles between neighbouring colonies as territorial boundaries are re-established .
Workers show considerable polymorphism and it has been noted that larger individuals forage further away from the nest.
The species can also establish nests using the mechanism of temporary social parasitism, the hosts being species of the Formica fusca group, notably F. fusca
and F. lemani, although incipient F. rufa colonies have also been recorded from nests of F. glebaria, F. cunnicularia
and similar species including the Lasius
genus.
. CPPV affects bee
s, ants, and mite
s.
Boreal ecosystem
The term boreal is usually applied to ecosystems localized in subarctic and subantarctic zones, although Austral is also used for the latter....
member of the Formica rufa group
Formica rufa group
The Formica rufa group is a sub-generic group within the genus Formica, first proposed by William Morton Wheeler. It contains the large, mound-building species of Formica commonly termed "wood ants"....
of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, commonly found throughout much of Europe in both coniferous and broad-leaf broken woodland and parkland. Workers can measure 8–10 mm in length. They have large mandibles and like many other ant species they are able to dispense formic acid
Formic acid
Formic acid is the simplest carboxylic acid. Its chemical formula is HCOOH or HCO2H. It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in the venom of bee and ant stings. In fact, its name comes from the Latin word for ant, formica, referring to its early...
from their abdomens as a defence. Formic acid was first extracted in 1671 by the English naturalist John Ray
John Ray
John Ray was an English naturalist, sometimes referred to as the father of English natural history. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after "having ascertained that such had been the practice of his family before him".He published important works on botany,...
by distilling a large number of crushed ants of this species.
Nuptial flight
Nuptial flight is an important phase in the reproduction of most ant, termite and some bee species. During the flight, virgin queens mate with males and then land to start a new colony, or, in the case of honey bees, continue the planned succession of an existing hived colony.- Before the flight :A...
s take place during the springtime and are often marked by savage battles between neighbouring colonies as territorial boundaries are re-established .
Workers show considerable polymorphism and it has been noted that larger individuals forage further away from the nest.
The species can also establish nests using the mechanism of temporary social parasitism, the hosts being species of the Formica fusca group, notably F. fusca
Formica fusca
Formica fusca, the common black ant of Europe, is a palaearctic ant with a range extending from Portugal in the west to Japan in the east and from Italy in the south to Fennoscandia in the north. F...
and F. lemani, although incipient F. rufa colonies have also been recorded from nests of F. glebaria, F. cunnicularia
Formica cunicularia
Formica cunicularia is a mining ant of the Formica fusca group. Forelian systematics places it in the subgenus Serviformica. Locally common in southern England, its appearance and habits ally it, to some extent, with Formica rufibarbis, although the former's red markings are far less conspicuous....
and similar species including the Lasius
Lasius
Lasius Latr. is a genus of boreal formicine ants.Included within this genus is the common black garden ant, Lasius niger, and its close relatives from dry heathland, L. alienus and L. neoniger....
genus.
Bee paralysis virus
In 2008, the Chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV) was reported for the first time in this species and another species of ant, Camponotus vagusCamponotus vagus
Camponotus vagus is a species of large, black, West Palaearctic carpenter ant with a wide range that includes much of Europe, a large area of Asia, and part of Africa.-Description:...
. CPPV affects bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s, ants, and mite
Mite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
s.
External links
- Ants Shooting Acid - Info & Video of Formica rufa shooting formic acid.
- Southern wood ant , southern wood ant pictures Macro photography of southern wood ant