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Iberoformica
| Iberoformica | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Formicini |
| Genus: | Iberoformica Tinaut, 1990 |
| Type species | |
| Formica subrufa, now Iberoformica subrufa | |
| Diversity | |
| 1 species (Species Checklist, Species by Country)
| |
A recent molecular analysis (Muñoz-López et al. 2012) has supported the distinctiveness of Iberoformica relative to Formica.
| At a Glance | • Monotypic |
Identification
Three molecular phylogenetic studies (Blaimer et al. 2015, Sanllorente et al. 2017, and Gomez et al. 2018) have shown that Iberoformica, as represented by the single species Iberoformica subrufa, is a distinctive genus.
Gomez et al. (2018) - The abundant pilosity formed by short and stout setae is the most visible character that defines Iberoformica. Characters that can be used to differentiate Iberoformica and Formica, and in particular species similar to I. subrufa in the Formica fusca group:
Iberoformica
WORKER
- Nodiform (not squamiform) petiole, becoming almost cylindrical
- Concave mesonotum that follows smoothly into the dorsal propodeal line, not meeting at an angle
- Whole body covered with short, thick, truncated white setae
QUEEN
- Meso and metathorax less developed: metanotal species (details in Tinaut & Ruano, 1992)
- Gaster with first segment almost rectangular, longer than wide, giving the gaster an elongated appearance
MALES
- Small size, similar to workers
- Head almost as wide as mesosoma
- Frontal ridges present, short
- Petiole high, squamiform and only slightly concave on the apex
- Gaster long and narrow, narrower than mesosoma width
- Sagitta pointy
- Volsella very slender, finger shaped
- Stipes longer than volsella and lacinia
Formica fusca species group
WORKER
- Petiole squamiform
- Mesonotum concave, followed by a horizontal propodeum, both meeting at an angle
- Whole body bare, except for some scattered setae present in propodeum and mesonotum, these hairs thinner than those of subrufa
QUEEN
- Meso and metathorax very developed, similar to the rest of Formica queens (macronotal species)
- Gaster with first segment wider than long, the gaster not elongated
MALES
- Size bigger than workers and only slightly smaller than queens
- Head clearly less wide than mesosoma
- Frontal ridges absent
- Petiole low, triangular and clearly concave on the apex
- Gaster about the same width as mesosoma
- Sagitta blunt, subrectangular
- Volsella semicircular
- Stipes approximately the same length as volsella and lacinia
Tinaut (1990) - Obreras con el peciolo de tipo nodiforme y mesonoto concavo; hembras con el mesotorax y el metatorax menos desarrollado que lo normal para el génera y gastro con el primer segmento casi rectangular, lo que le confiere un cierto parecido con las obreras; por ultimo los machos son de tamano similar al de las obreras, nudo peciolar bajo y triangular, sagita muy apuntada y volsella mas esbelta.
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See images of species within this genus |
Distribution
Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps
Species by Region
Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.
| Afrotropical Region | Australasian Region | Indo-Australian Region | Malagasy Region | Nearctic Region | Neotropical Region | Oriental Region | Palaearctic Region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Species | 2841 | 1736 | 3045 | 932 | 835 | 4379 | 1741 | 2862 |
Biology
Association with Other Organisms
All Associate Records for Genus
| Taxon | Relationship | Associate Type | Associate Taxon | Associate Relationship | Locality | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iberoformica subrufa | host | ant | Formica frontalis | dulotic parasite | Spain | Ruano et al., 2018 | |
| Iberoformica subrufa | mutualist | butterfly | Glaucopsyche alexis | Obregon et al. 2015 | |||
| Iberoformica subrufa | mutualist | butterfly | Lampides boeticus | Obregon et al. 2015 | |||
| Iberoformica subrufa | mutualist | butterfly | Leptotes pirithous | Obregon et al. 2015 | |||
| Iberoformica subrufa | prey | spider | Zodarion | Pekár et al. (2018) |
Life History Traits
- Mean colony size: 181-2048 (Greer et al., 2021)
- Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
- Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
- Diet class: omnivore (Greer et al., 2021)
- Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)
Castes
Morphology
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.
• Antennal segment count: 12 • Antennal club: absent • Palp formula: 5,3 • Total dental count: 6 • Spur formula: 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes: >100 ommatidia • Ocelli: present • Scrobes: absent • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: monomorphic • Sting: absent • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: present
Karyotype
All Karyotype Records for Genus
- See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.
- Explore: Show all Karyotype data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
| Taxon | Haploid | Diploid | Karyotype | Locality | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iberoformica subrufa | 26 | Spain | Lorite et al., 2002b |
Phylogeny
| Formicinae |
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See Phylogeny of Formicinae for details.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- IBEROFORMICA [junior synonym of Formica]
- Iberoformica Tinaut, 1990a: 282 [as subgenus of Formica]. Type-species: Formica subrufa, by original designation.
- Iberoformica junior synonym of Formica: Agosti, 1994a: 107.
- Iberoformica revived from synonymy and raised to genus: Muñoz-López, et al. 2012: 36.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
References
- Agosti, D. 1994b. The phylogeny of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with the description of a new genus. Syst. Entomol. 19: 93-117 (page 107, Iberoformica as junior synonym of Formica)
- Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 128, Iberoformica as junior synonym of Formica)
- Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
- Gomez, K., Lorite, P., Garcia, F., Tinaut, A., Espadaler, X., Palomeque, T., Sanllorente, O., Trager, J. 2018. Differentiating Iberoformica and Formica (Serviformica) with description of the sexual castes of Formica (Serviformica) gerardi Bondroit, 1917 stat. rev. Sociobiology 65: 463-470 (DOI 10.13102/sociobiology.v65i3.3315).
- Greer, J. A., Moreau, C. S. 2021. Phylogenetic analysis and trait evolution of ant cocoons. Insect Systematics & Evolution 53(1), 60–77 (doi:10.1163/1876312x-bja10008).
- Muñoz-López, M., Palomeque, T., Carrillo, J. A., Pons, J., Tinaut, A. & Lorite, P. 2012. A new taxonomic status for Iberoformica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) based on the use of molecular markers. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 50:30-37. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.2011.00649.x
- Tinaut, A. 1990a. Descripción del macho de Formica subrufa Roger, 1859 y creación de un nuevo subgénero (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). EOS. Rev. Esp. Entomol. 65: 281-291 (page 282, Iberoformica as subgenus of Formica)