Myrmica rubra (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Featured Creatures - European fire ant - Myrmica rubra Linnaeus:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/Myrmica_ruba.htm

Founded in 1996 by Thomas Fasulo, Featured Creatures provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms.

The Featured Creatures site is a cooperative venture of the University of Florida's Entomology and Nematology Department and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry.

Visit Featured Creatures at http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/

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Sourcehttp://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/Myrmica_ruba.htm

Taxonomic History:

1 subspecies

Formica rubra Linnaeus, 1758 PDF: 580 (w.) EUROPE. AntCat AntWiki

Taxonomic history

Latreille, 1802a: 248 (q.m.); Wheeler & Wheeler, 1953a PDF: 118 (l.); sulcinodis Nyl. (Formicidae). Experientia (Basel) 21:323-325. [1965-06-15]">Hauschteck, 1965 PDF: 325 (k.).
Combination in Myrmica: Latreille, 1804: 179.
Senior synonym of Myrmica laevinodis (and its junior synonyms Myrmica bruesi, Myrmica champlaini, Myrmica longiscapus): Yarrow, 1955c PDF: 114; Arnol'di, 1970b PDF: 1839; Boven, 1977: 115; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 530; Collingwood, 1979 PDF: 52; Seifert, 1988b: 5; of Myrmica europaea: Radchenko, Czechowski & Czechowska, 1997: 483; Czechowski, Radchenko & Czechowska, 2002 PDF: 17; of Myrmica microrubra: Steiner, Schlick-Steiner, Konrad, et al. 2006: 777.
Current subspecies: nominal plus Myrmica rubra khamensis, Myrmica rubra neolaevinodis.
See also: Emery, 1908a PDF: 169; L. and M. laevinodis Nylander. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae.). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 100:393-409. [1949-12-30]">Brian & Brian, 1949 PDF: 393; Smith, 1979: 1350; rubra microgynes as a social parasite: possible significance in the evolution of ant social parasites. Pp. 75-84 in: Howse, P. E.; Clement, J.-L. (eds.) 1981. Biosystematics of social insects. Systematics Association Special Volume No. 19. London: Academic Press, 346 pp. [1981]">Pearson, 1981: 75; Seifert, 1988b: 5; rubra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Japan with taxonomic and ecological notes. Japanese Journal of Entomology 57:131-135. [1989-03-25]">Onoyama, 1989a PDF: 131; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 83; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010: 228.
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Rights holder/AuthorAntWeb
Sourcehttp://www.antweb.org/description.do?genus=myrmica&name=rubra&rank=species

Featured Creatures - European fire ant - Myrmica rubra Linnaeus:

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/Myrmica_ruba.htm

Founded in 1996 by Thomas Fasulo, Featured Creatures provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms.

The Featured Creatures site is a cooperative venture of the University of Florida's Entomology and Nematology Department and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry.

Visit Featured Creatures at http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/

Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorFeatured Creatures
Sourcehttp://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/ants/Myrmica_ruba.htm

Distribution:

Throughout SLO

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Sourcehttp://www.antweb.org/description.do?genus=myrmica&name=rubra&rank=species

Diagnosis of worker among Antkey species. Worker castes monomorphic. Head shape ovoid. Antenna 12-segmented. Antennal club 4-segmented or indistinct. Antennal insertions at least partly covered by frontal lobes. Antennal scapes not conspicuously short; easily extended beyond eye level. Antennal insertion not surrounded by a raised sharp-edged ridge. Antennal scrobe lacking. Posterolateral corners of head unarmed, without spines. Eyes medium to large (greater than 6 facets), but distinctly less than half length."" class=""lexicon-term"">head length. Frontal lobes do not obscure face outline between mandible and eye. Lobes relatively far apart so that the posteromedian portion of the clypeus, where it projects between the frontal lobes, is much broader than one of the lobes. Frontal lobes narrow, distinctly longer than broad and tapering anteriorly. Mandibles triangular. Carinae on cephalic dorsum mostly longitudinal, occasionally branching, but rarely intersecting. Mesosoma with erect hairs. Pronotal spines absent. Propodeum armed with spines or teeth. Slope of mesosoma gradual. Waist 2-segmented. Petiole with a distinct and upright node; pedunculate; lacking large "" class=""lexicon-term"">subpetiolar process postpetiole attached to lower surface of gaster. Postpetiole not swollen; in dorsal view not distinctly broader than long or distinctly wider than petiole.

Among myrmicine genera with introduced and commonly intercepted species, Myrmica might be confused for Tetramorium or Pheidole. In addition to having a 4-segmented antennal club, Myrmica can be separated from Tetramorium by the lack of a raised ridge encircling the antennal insertion, and from Pheidole by the gradually sloping (versus humped) mesosoma. Among other genera with introduced and commonly intercepted species with antennal clubs that can be interpreted as either 4-segmented or indistinct, Myrmica species can readily be separated from the attines (Acromyrmex and Atta) by the lack of pronotal spines, and from Cephalotes by the lack of frontal lobes that obscure the lateral outlines of the face. Myrmica rubra can be separated from M. specioides by the carinae on cephalic dorsum which are mostly longitudinal, occasionally branching but rarely intersecting (versus strongly reticulated); and also by the frontal lobes which are narrow, distinctly longer than broad and tapering anteriorly (versus short and broad, distinctly rounded anteriorly).

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Rights holder/AuthorEli Sarnat, Antkey
Sourcehttp://antkey.org/content/myrmica-rubra-1

Taxonomic Treatment:

Smith, F.:
  The Bed Ant. B. M.
  Formica rubra, Linn . Syst. Nat. 963,7. De Geer, Ins. ii, 1093, 6,
  t. 43, f. I. Schrank, Ins. Aust. 415, 837. Oliv. Enc. Meth.
  vi. 493. Fabr. Ent. Syst. 353,14. Don. 14,87, t. 503. Latr.
  Hist. Nat. Fourm. 246, t. 10, f. 62. Myrmica rubra, Latr . Gen. Crust. Ins. 131. St. Farg. Hist. Nat.
  Ins. i. 181,2, t. 2, f. 3, . Formica minima rubra, Ray , Ins. 69. The Red Ant, Gould, Eng. Ants, ii. 3. Manica rubra, Jurine , 279. Huber, Fourm, 59.
  Hab. - Britain, Meadows, Banks, & c.
  Formica rubra, Linn . Faun. Suec. 1725. Myrmica caespitum , Zett. Ins. Lapp. 450,1, . Myrmica ruginodis, Nyland . Adno. Mon. Form. Boreal. 930, 3. Foerster, Hym. Stud. Form. 66, 36.
  The majority of specimens examined of this species possessing the Linnean characteristic " punctum nigrum, sub abdomine, " the Linnean name has been retained for it
 

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Sourcehttp://www.antweb.org/description.do?genus=myrmica&name=rubra&rank=species

Myrmica specioides

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Rights holder/AuthorEli Sarnat, Antkey
Sourcehttp://antkey.org/node/32636

Myrmica laevinodis Nylander, 1846

 

Records

 

(Map 9): Bulgaria ( Emery 1914 , Agosti and Collingwood 1987a , Atanassov and Dlusskij 1992 ); Central Stara Planina Mts: along Kostinya river (Teteven Balkan) [ Atanassov 1936 (as Myrmica rubra laevinodis )]; Eastern Stara Planina Mts: Sliven [ Forel 1892 (as Myrmica laevinodis )]; Sofia Basin: Sofia ( Lapeva-Gjonova and Atanasova 2004 , Antonova and Penev 2006 , 2008 ); Vitosha Mt. [ Atanassov 1952 (as Myrmica laevinodis )]: Knyazhevo [ Forel 1892 (as Myrmica laevinodis )], Zheleznitsa vill. [ Atanassov 1936 (as Myrmica rubra laevinodis )]; Plana Mt.: Plana vill., Kokalyane monastery (Kokalyane vill.), Ivanova mogila peak (Alino vill.) ( Vagalinski and Lapeva-Gjonova in press ); Western Rhodopi Mts: Batak, Velingrad, Rakitovo, Peshtera, Smolyan ( Lapeva-Gjonova in press (a) ).

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Sourcehttp://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.62.430

5. Myrmica rubra HNS (Linne, 1758) Figs. 25,43, 53,59.

Formica rubra Linne HNS , 1758:580. Myrmica laevinodis Nylander HNS , 1846a:927. Myrmica rubra (Linne) HNS ; Yarrow, 1955b: 113.

Workers. Yellowish brown. Sculpture dilute; frontal triangle and subspinal areas smooth and shining. Antennal scapes long and slender. Petiole node with short indistinct dorsal area sloping evenly without definite break to its junction with the postpetiole. Head Index: 79.5; Frons Index: 49.4; Frontal Laminae Index: 92.7. Length: 3.5-5.0 mm.

Queen. As worker. Length: 5.5-7.0 mm (microgynes 4.5-5.5 mm).

Male. Body colour dark with appendages lighter. Head rugose but rest of sculpture dilute with petiole, postpetiole, area between notauli and also frontal triangle smooth and shining. The funiculus segments are more slender and shorter than in M. ruginodis Nyl HNS ., the scapes are long and slender, obliquely and evenly curved near the base. The tibiae and tarsi have long projecting hairs which provide the easiest distinction from M. ruginodis HNS . Length: 4.5-5.5 mm.

Distribution. Locally common throughout Denmark, South and Central Fennoscandia apd the British Isles. Found also in the north in warm sheltered areas only (Lofote Islands, Narvik, Oulu). - Range: Portugal and Ireland to E. Siberia, Italy to North Scandinavia.

Biology . This is a lowland species often abundant where it occurs in sheltered valleys, usually in alluvial soil by riversides and on the coast. Colonies are normally polygynous with several to many queens and up to 1000 or more workers (Elmes, 1973b) nesting in the ground or under stones. Microgynes are quite frequent with this species (Collingwood, 1958; Elmes, 1973a). This is the most aggressive of the Myrmica HNS species and stings freely. This ant tends aphids more consistently than other members of the genus and is frequently found collecting nectar on the inflorescence of urnbelliflorae and other herbs. Mating flights occur in August and are orientated towards high buildings.

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Rights holder/AuthorNo known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
Sourcehttp://treatment.plazi.org/id/D783E44C450608848B7C0DFB147D79D6

. Transcaucasie (Satunin!).

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Sourcehttp://research.amnh.org/entomology/social_insects/ants/publications/3994/3994.pdf
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith