Formica aserva

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Formica aserva
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Formicini
Genus: Formica
Species: F. aserva
Binomial name
Formica aserva
Forel, 1901

Formica-aserva-MCZ001L.jpg

Formica-aserva-MCZ001D.jpg

Specimen Label

Synonyms

Formica aserva is a brood raiding ant that preys on other Formica species. Within its range this species is encountered with some regularity during the summer due to its raids on other ant nests. These raids typically include an active and noticeable foraging column that can be many meters from the raiding colony to the ant nest that is being attacked. Soon to pupate brood that is brought back to the nest is often allowed to eclose and these workers become working members of the F. aserva colony.

At a Glance • Dulotic  

Photo Gallery

  • With Formica fusca (black workers) host workers.
  • Formica aserva worker infected with the lancet liver fluke, Dicrocoelium dendriticum. (A) False-coloured 3D volume rendering in sagittal section. (B) Micro-CT-based virtual sagittal section of an ant gaster harbouring 6 encysted metacercariae. (C) Micro-CT-based virtual sagittal section of an ant gaster harbouring 98 encysted metacercariae. (D) False-coloured 3D volume rendering of an infected ant gaster in sagittal section, showing scar-like marks (arrow) on the crop surface. Abbreviations: br, brain; cr, crop; emc, encysted metacercaria; nmc, non-encysted metacercaria. From Martin-Vega et al., 2018, Fig. 2.

Identification

The ventral surface of the head is without erect hairs, the pronotum has fewer than 6 short (less than 0.01 mm) stiff, blunt bristles, and the apex of the petiole is without erect hairs. The petiole is broad and fan-shaped as seen from the front. The central area of the clypeus is striate. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Canada, Newfoundland west to Yukon. United States: Alaska south to California, east to New Mexico, northeast to New England.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 67.48164° to 32.430353°.

   
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

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

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

Habitat

For New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) - This species occurs in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from prairies, through sagebrush scrub, juniper forests (Juniperus monosperma), aspen forests (Populus tremuloides) and mixed forests up to fir-aspen-spruce forests, subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and ponderosa pine. Nests even occur above the tree line.

Biology

This species is a member of a group of Formica species that were formerly placed in the subgenus Raptiformica. All species are facultative slavemakers, i.e., species which usually or often have slaves but can get along without them. The colony-founding female forces her way into a small colony of another species of Formica, somehow gets rid of its queen and workers and appropriates its nest and brood. The workers emerging from this brood accept the intruding queen as their own. The enslaved species belong to the Formica neogagates, fusca, and pallidefulva species groups. When the workers of the slave-making species have become numerous enough, they start raiding for more slaves.

In New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002): This species nests in ponderosa pine logs and under stones, and may even construct thatched nests. Brood can be found in nests in early July until early August, reproductives were in nests in August, dealate females were found loose in July and August. This species enslaves F. fusca, F. argentea and F. neorufibarbis, and was found in a F. argentea nest together with F. obtusopilosa. One mixed nest included F. argentea, F. aserva, F. obtusopilosa F. lasioides and Myrmica.

Nevada, Wheeler and Wheeler (1986) - We have 26 records from 20 localities, all near the northeastern, eastern, and southern borders of the state; 6,600-11,000 ft., with 68% above 10,000 ft. Twelve records are from the Coniferous Forest Biome and 9 from the ecotone above it. Seven nests were in and/or under decaying wood lying on the ground; usually thatch and soil were piled against or on top of the log. One nest was in needle thatch under and beside a stone. Another was in thatch and soil under a 10-cm stump 38 cm long and leaning against a huge stone. One colony was populous and aggressive. As slaves we found Formica argentea in 1 colony, Formica neorufibarbis in 1 colony, and Formica fusca in 3 colonies.

Novgorodova (2015) - Honeydew collectors of Formica aserva actively attacked adult ladybirds but almost completely ignored the non-predatory muscid flies (Phillips and Willis, 2005).

Savolainen & Deslippe (2001) compared the behavioral repertory of this species to that of Formica subintegra and Polyergus mexicanus.

Flight Period

X X
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Source: antkeeping.info.

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

This species is a slave maker of the ants Formica argentea, Formica neorufibarbis and Formica podzolica and is a thought to be a host of the slave-maker Formica rubicunda, but this needs confirmation.

The records of this species enslaving Formica cinerea, Formica fusca, Formica polyctena and Formica pratensis noted by Ruano et al. (2019) are in error as these species are outside the geographic distribution of F. aserva (Palearctic host, Nearctic parasite) (de la Mora et al., 2021).

Hemiptera

  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Aphis asclepiadis (a trophobiont) (Addicott, 1979a; Saddiqui et al., 2019).
  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Aphis salicariae (a trophobiont) (Addicott, 1979a; Saddiqui et al., 2019).
  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Aphis varians (a trophobiont) (Addicott, 1979a; Saddiqui et al., 2019).
  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae (a trophobiont) (Jones, 1927; Saddiqui et al., 2019).

Trematoda

This species is a host for the trematode Dicrocoelium dendriticum (a parasite) in Canada (Alberta) (van Paridon et al., 2017; Martin-Vega et al., 2018; Criscione et al., 2020).

Diptera

  • This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon albicomatus (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).
  • This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon cothurnatus (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).
  • This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon piperi (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).
  • This species is a prey for the Microdon fly Microdon tristis (a predator) (Quevillon, 2018).

Fungi

  • This species is a host for the fungus Laboulbenia formicarum (a parasite) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission within nest).
  • This species is a host for the fungus Laboulbenia formicarum (a pathogen) (Espadaler & Santamaria, 2012).

Castes

Worker

MCZ-ENT00021711 Formica sanguinea rubicunda var subnuda hef.jpgMCZ-ENT00021711 Formica sanguinea rubicunda var subnuda hal.jpgMCZ-ENT00021711 Formica sanguinea rubicunda var subnuda had.jpgMCZ-ENT00021711 Formica sanguinea rubicunda var subnuda lbs.jpg
Lectotype of Formica subnuda. . Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Mcz-ent00668508 Formica aserva worker hef.jpgMcz-ent00668508 Formica aserva hal.jpgMcz-ent00668508 Formica aserva had.jpgMcz-ent00668508 Formica aserva lbs.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Images from AntWeb

Formica aserva casent0005395 head 1.jpgFormica aserva casent0005395 profile 1.jpgFormica aserva casent0005395 dorsal 1.jpgFormica aserva casent0005395 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0005395. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA.

Queen

Mcz-ent00669258 Formica aserva queen hef.jpgMcz-ent00669258 Formica aserva queen hal.jpgMcz-ent00669258 Formica aserva queen had.jpgMcz-ent00669258 Formica aserva queen lbs.JPG
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Male

Mcz-ent00669262 Formica aserva male hef.jpgMcz-ent00669262 Formica aserva male hal.jpgMcz-ent00669262 Formica aserva male had.jpgMcz-ent00669262 Formica aserva male lbs.JPG
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • aserva. Formica sanguinea r. aserva Forel, 1901g: 395 (w.q.) CANADA. Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 405 (m.). Combination in F. (Raptiformica): Emery, 1925b: 260. Synonym of subnuda: Creighton, 1950a: 469; Wilson & Brown, 1955: 118; Buren, 1968a: 33. [All these authors give subnuda as the senior name but the date of availability of subnuda makes it clear that aserva has seniority: Bolton, 1995b: 191; see also under subnuda.]
  • subnuda. Formica sanguinea subsp. subnuda Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 570 (w.) CANADA. [First available use of Formica sanguinea subsp. rubicunda var. subnuda Emery, 1895c: 335; unavailable name.] Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 409 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 170 (l). Combination in F. (Raptiformica): Emery, 1925b: 260. Subspecies of sanguinea: Wheeler, W.M. 1913f: 469; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 533. Raised to species: Creighton, 1950a: 469. Synonym of aserva: Creighton, 1950a: 469; Wilson & Brown, 1955: 118; Buren, 1968a: 33. [Creighton, Wilson & Brown, and Buren incorrectly make subnuda the senior name but aserva has priority and is therefore the valid name of this taxon: Bolton, 1995b: 204.]

Description

References

  • Wheeler, W. M. 1913i. A revision of the ants of the genus Formica (Linné) Mayr. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 53: 379-565 (page 405, male described)
  • Wilson, E. O.; Brown, W. L., Jr. 1955. Revisionary notes on the sanguinea and neogagates groups of the ant genus Formica. Psyche (Camb.) 62: 108-129 (page 118, Synonym of subnuda)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Allred D. M. 1982. Ants of Utah. The Great Basin Naturalist 42: 415-511.
  • Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
  • Blacker, N.C. 1992. Some Ants from Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. J. Entomol. Soc. Bri. Columbia 89:3-12.
  • Blacker, N.C. 1992. Some ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 89:3-12
  • Borchert, H.F. and N.L. Anderson. 1973. The Ants of the Bearpaw Mountains of Montana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 46(2):200-224
  • 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
  • Buren W. F. 1944. A list of Iowa ants. Iowa State College Journal of Science 18:277-312
  • Canadensys Database. Dowloaded on 5th February 2014 at http://www.canadensys.net/
  • Carroll T. M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Master's Thesis Purdue university, 385 pages.
  • 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.
  • Christiansen T., and R. Lavigne. 2010. Effects of the 1988 Fires in Yellowstone National Park, USA, on the Ant Populations (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Entomol. Res. Soc. 12(3): 29-37.
  • Cole A. C., Jr. 1936. An annotated list of the ants of Idaho (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Canadian Entomologist 68: 34-39.
  • Cole A. C., Jr. 1942. The ants of Utah. American Midland Naturalist 28: 358-388.
  • Cole A. C., Jr. 1949. The ants of Mountain Lake, Virginia. Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 24: 155-156.
  • Cole A. C., Jr. 1954. Studies of New Mexico ants. XI. The genus Formica with a description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 29: 163-167.
  • Cole, A.C. 1936. An annotated list of the ants of Idaho (Hymenoptera; Formicidae). Canadian Entomologist 68(2):34-39
  • Coovert G. A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ohio Biological Survey, Inc. 15(2): 1-207.
  • Coovert, G.A. 2005. The Ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series Volume 15(2):1-196
  • Del Toro, I. 2010. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION. MUSEUM RECORDS COLLATED BY ISRAEL DEL TORO
  • Deslippe, R.J. and R. Savolainen. 1995. Mechanisms of Competition in a Guild of Formicine Ants. Oikos 72(1):67-73
  • 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.
  • Drummond F. A., A. M. llison, E. Groden, and G. D. Ouellette. 2012. The ants (Formicidae). In Biodiversity of the Schoodic Peninsula: Results of the Insect and Arachnid Bioblitzes at the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park, Maine. Maine Agricultural and forest experiment station, The University of Maine, Technical Bulletin 206. 217 pages
  • Eidmann V. H., and H. Münden. 1933. Zur Kenntnis der Ameisenfauna von Sudlabrador. Zoologischer Anzeiger 101(7): 202-221.
  • Ellison A. M., S. Record, A. Arguello, and N. J. Gotelli. 2007. Rapid Inventory of the Ant Assemblage in a Temperate Hardwood Forest: Species Composition and Assessment of Sampling Methods. Environ. Entomol. 36(4): 766-775.
  • 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.
  • Gregg R. E. 1946. The ants of northeastern Minnesota. American Midland Naturalist 35: 747-755.
  • Gregg, R.T. 1963. The Ants of Colorado.
  • Headley A. E. 1943. The ants of Ashtabula County, Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). The Ohio Journal of Science 43(1): 22-31.
  • Higgins R. J. 2010. The ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) communities of the central interior of British Columbia: adaptations to a temperature-constrained environment. ??? 1-183.
  • Higgins R. J., and B. S. Lindgren. 2006. The fine scale physical attributes of coarse woody debris and effects of surrounding stand structure on its utilization by ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in British Columbia, Canada. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-93. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station pp. 67-73.
  • Ivanov, K. 2019. The ants of Ohio (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): an updated checklist. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 70: 65–87.
  • Ivanov K., L. Hightower, S. T. Dash, and J. B. Keiper. 2019. 150 years in the making: first comprehensive list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Virginia, USA. Zootaxa 4554 (2): 532–560.
  • Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
  • Kannowski P. B. 1956. The ants of Ramsey County, North Dakota. American Midland Naturalist 56(1): 168-185.
  • La Rivers I. 1968. A first listing of the ants of Nevada. Biological Society of Nevada, Occasional Papers 17: 1-12.
  • Lavigne R., and T. J. Tepedino. 1976. Checklist of the insects in Wyoming. I. Hymenoptera. Agric. Exp. Sta., Univ. Wyoming Res. J. 106: 24-26.
  • Lesica P., and P. B. Kannowski. 1998. Ants Create Hummocks and Alter Structure and Vegetation of a Montana Fen. Am. Midl. Nat. 139: 58–68
  • 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
  • Longino, J.T. 2010. Personal Communication. Longino Collection Database
  • MacGown, J.A. and JV.G. Hill. Ants of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee and North Carolina).
  • Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
  • Mackay, W., D. Lowrie, A. Fisher, E. Mackay, F. Barnes and D. Lowrie. 1988. The ants of Los Alamos County, New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). pages 79-131 in J.C. Trager, editor, Advances in Myrmecololgy.
  • Mallis A. 1941. A list of the ants of California with notes on their habits and distribution. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 40: 61-100. 
  • Merle W. W. 1939. An Annotated List of the Ants of Maine (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News. 50: 161-165
  • Nielsen, M.G. 1987. The ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in northern and Interior Alaska. Entomological News 98(2):74-88
  • Ouellette G. D., F. A. Drummond, B. Choate and E. Groden. 2010. Ant diversity and distribution in Acadia National Park, Maine. Environmental Entomology 39: 1447-1556
  • Paiero, S.M. and S.A. Marshall. 2006. Bruce Peninsula Species list . Online resource accessed 12 March 2012
  • Parson G. L., G Cassis, A. R. Moldenke, J. D. Lattin, N. H. Anderson, J. C. Miller, P. Hammond, T. Schowalter. 1991. Invertebrates of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, western Cascade Range, Oregon. V: An annotated list of insects and other arthropods. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-290. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 168 p.
  • Procter W. 1938. Biological survey of the Mount Desert Region. Part VI. The insect fauna. Philadelphia: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, 496 pp.
  • Rees D. M., and A. W. Grundmann. 1940. A preliminary list of the ants of Utah. Bulletin of the University of Utah, 31(5): 1-12.
  • Savolainen, R. and R.J. Deslippe. 1996. Slave addition increases sexual production of the facultative slave-making ant Formica subnuda. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 38:145-148
  • Shik, J., A. Francoeur and C. Buddle. 2005. The effect of human activity on ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) richness at the Mont St. Hilaire Biosphere Reserve, Quebec. Canadian Field-Naturalist 119(1): 38-42.
  • Smith F. 1941. A list of the ants of Washington State. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 17(1): 23-28.
  • Talbot M. 1976. A list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Edwin S. George Reserve, Livingston County, Michigan. Great Lakes Entomologist 8: 245-246.
  • Wheeler G. C., J. N. Wheeler, and P. B. Kannowski. 1994. Checklist of the ants of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The Great Lakes Entomologist 26(4): 297-310
  • Wheeler G. C., and E. W. Wheeler. 1944. Ants of North Dakota. North Dakota Historical Quarterly 11:231-271.
  • Wheeler, G. C. and J. Wheeler. 1986. The ants of Nevada. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles.
  • Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1987. A Checklist of the Ants of South Dakota. Prairie Nat. 19(3): 199-208.
  • Wheeler J. N., G. C. Wheeler, R. J. Lavigne, T. A. Christiansen, and D. E. Wheeler. 2014. The ants of Yellowstone National Park. Lexington, Ky. : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013. 112 pages.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1901. The compound and mixed nests of American ants. Part II (continued). American Naturalist. 35: 701-724.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1905. Ants from the summit of Mount Washington. Psyche (Cambridge) 12: 111-114.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1906. Fauna of New England. 7. List of the Formicidae. Occasional Papers of the Boston Society of Natural History 7: 1-24
  • Wheeler W. M. 1913. A revision of the ants of the genus Formica (Linné) Mayr. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 53: 379-565.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1917. The mountain ants of western North America. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 52: 457-569.
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1978. Mountain ants of Nevada. Great Basin Naturalist 35(4):379-396
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Montana. Psyche 95:101-114
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Wyoming. Insecta Mundi 2(3&4):230-239
  • 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
  • Wheeler, G.C., J. Wheeler, T.D. Galloway and G.L. Ayre. 1989. A list of the ants of Manitoba. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Manitoba 45:34-49
  • Wilson E. O., and W. L. Brown, Jr. 1955. Revisionary notes on the sanguinea and neogagates groups of the ant genus Formica. Psyche (Cambridge) 62: 108-129.
  • Wing M. W. 1939. An annotated list of the ants of Maine (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News 50:161-165.
Retrieved from "https://antwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Formica_aserva&oldid=695714"