Myrmica alaskensis

Myrmica alaskensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Myrmicini
Genus:	Myrmica
Species:	M. alaskensis
Binomial name
	Myrmica alaskensis; Wheeler, W.M., 1917 Specimen labels
Synonyms
	Myrmica brevinodis kuschei Wheeler, W.M., 1917;

A boreal species widespread across northern North America, this species is a host for the xenobiotic ant Formicoxenus quebecensis and the workerless inquilines Myrmica lampra and Myrmica quebecensis.

At a Glance

• Polygynous

Identification

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 68.2° to 43.486°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: Canada, United States (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Biology

Life History Traits

Queen number: polygynous (Frumhoff & Ward, 1992)

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

alaskensis. Myrmica brevinodis var. alaskensis Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 503 (w.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of kuschei: Creighton, 1950a: 97; of brevinodis: Weber, 1950b: 189; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 789. Revived from synonymy, raised to species and senior synonym of kuschei: Francoeur, 1986b: 57.
kuschei. Myrmica brevinodis var. kuschei Wheeler, W.M. 1917e: 17 (w.q.) U.S.A. Subspecies of brevinodis: Weber, 1950b: 197. Raised to species: Francoeur, 1977b: 206. Subspecies of incompleta: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1349. Junior synonym of alaskensis: Francoeur, 1986b: 57.

Description

=Worker Morphology

Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.=

Caste: monomorphic

References

Boucher, P., Hébert, C., Francoeur, A., Sirois, L. 2015. Postfire succession of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nesting in dead wood of Northern Boreal Forest. Environmental Entomology 44, 1316–1327 (doi:10.1093/ee/nvv109).
Creighton, W. S. 1950a. The ants of North America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 104: 1-585 (page 97, Junior synonym of kuschei)
Doering, G. N., Prebus, M. 2023. Southern record of the xenobiotic ant Formicoxenus quebecensis from eastern Wisconsin. Sociobiology 70(2), e8374 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v70i2.8374).
Fairweather, A.D., Lewis, J.H., Hunt, L., Smith, M.A., McAlpine, D.F. 2020. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Rockwood Park, New Brunswick: An assessment of species richness and habitat. Northwestern Naturalist 27(3):576–584.
Francoeur, A. 1986c. Supplément aux fourmis de la presqu'île de Forillon, Gaspé-est, Québec (Formicides, Hyménoptères). Fabreries 12: 56-58 (page 57, Revived from synonymy, raised to species, and senior synonym of kuschei)
Higgins, R. J. and B. S. Lindgren. 2015. Seral changes in ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) assemblages in the sub-boreal forests of British Columbia. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 8:337-347. doi:10.1111/icad.12112
Higgins, R.J., Lindgren, B.S. 2012. An evaluation of methods for sampling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in British Columbia, Canada. The Canadian Entomologist 144, 491–507 (doi:10.4039/tce.2012.50).
Jansen, G., Savolainen, R., Vepsäläinen, K. 2010. Phylogeny, divergence-time estimation, biogeography and social parasite–host relationships of the Holarctic ant genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 561, 294–304 (doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.01.029).
Lenoir, A., P. D’Ettorre, P., Errard, C., Hefetz, A. 2001. Chemical ecology and social parasitism in ants. Annual Review of Entomology 46: 573–599.
Smith, M. R. 1951c. Family Formicidae. Pp. 778-875 in: Muesebeck, C. F., Krombein, K. V., Townes, H. K. (eds.) Hymenoptera of America north of Mexico. Synoptic catalogue. U. S. Dep. Agric. Agric. Monogr. 2:1-1420. (page 789, Junior synonym of brevinodis)
Wheeler, W. M. 1917a. The mountain ants of western North America. Proc. Am. Acad. Arts Sci. 52: 457-569 (page 503, M. brevinodis var. alaskensis; worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Boucher P., C. Hebert, A. Francoeur, and L. Sirois. 2015. Postfire succession of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nesting in dead wood of northern boreal forest. Environ. Entomol. 44(5): 1316-1327: DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvv109
Buschinger A., R. D. Schumann, and J. Heinze. 1994. First records of the guest and Formicoxenus quebecensis Francoeur from Western Canada (Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Psyche 101: 53-57.
Buschinger, A., R. D. Schumann, and J. Heinze. 1994. First records of the guest ant Formicoxenus quebecensis Francoeur from western Canada (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche 101:53-57
Choate B., and F. A. Drummond. 2012. Ant Diversity and Distribution (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Throughout Maine Lowbush Blueberry Fields in Hancock and Washington Counties. Environ. Entomol. 41(2): 222-232.
Choate B., and F. A. Drummond. 2013. The influence of insecticides and vegetation in structuring Formica Mound ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Maine lowbush blueberry. Environ. Entomol. 41(2): 222-232.
Downing H., and J. Clark. 2018. Ant biodiversity in the Northern Black Hills, South Dakota (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 91(2): 119-132.
Francoeur A., and M. Bouchard. 2018. Extension du territoire connu de la fourmi Myrmica lampra au Québec (Formicides, Hyménoptères). Le Naturaliste canadien 142(1): 64–65.
Francoeur, A. 1983. The ant fauna near the tree-line in Northern Quebec (Formicidae, Hymenoptera). Nordicana 47: 177-180
Francoeur, A. 1997. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Yukon. Pages 901 910 in H.V. Danks and J.A. Downes (Eds.), Insects of the Yukon. Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods), Ottawa.
Glasier J. R. N., S. E. Nielsen, J. Acorn, and J. Pinzon. 2019. Boreal sand hills are areas of high diversity for Boreal ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Diversity 11, 22; doi:10.3390/d11020022.
Glasier, J. Alberta Ants. AntWeb.
Higgins R. J. 2010. The ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) communities of the central interior of British Columbia: adaptations to a temperature-constrained environment. ??? 1-183.
Lafleur B., W. F. J. Parsons, R. L. Bradley, and A. Francoeur. 2006. Ground-Nesting Ant Assemblages and Their Relationships to Habitat Factors Along a Chronosequence of Postfire-Regenerated Lichen-Spruce Woodland. Environmental Entomology. 35(6): 151-1524.
Lidgren, B.S. and A.M. MacIsaac. 2002. A Preliminary Study of Ant Diversity and of Ant Dependence on Dead Wood in Central Interior British Columbia. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-181.
Lindgren, B.S. and A.M. MacIsaac. 2002. Ant dependence on dead wood in Central Interior British Columbia. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep.PSW-GTR-181
Nielsen M. G. 1987. The ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern and interior Alaska. A survey along the trans-Alaskan pipeline and a few highways. Entomological News 98:74-88
Nielsen, M.G. 1986. Respiratory rates of ants from different climatic areas. Journal of Insect Physiology 32(2): 125-131
Nielsen, M.G. 1987. The ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in northern and Interior Alaska. Entomological News 98(2):74-88
Varady-Szabo, H. 2004. Spiders and Ants Associated with Fallen Logs in Forillon National Park of Canada, Quebec. Masters Thesis, MgGill University, Montreal, Canada
Wheeler, G.C., J. Wheeler and P.B. Kannowski. 1994. CHECKLIST OF THE ANTS OF MICHIGAN (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE). Great Lakes Entomologist 26:1:297-310