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Formica paralugubris

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Species of ant

Formica paralugubris
Queen - specimen type (FoCol0762) 1
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Genus: Formica
Species: F. paralugubris
Binomial name
Formica paralugubris
Seifert, 1996

Formica paralugubris is a species of ant. It is a member of the Formica rufa species group native to the Alps in the Palearctic realm. It is a cryptic species, often miscategorized as Formica lugubris due to morphological similarities. The two species are capable of differentiating one another, however; F. paralugubris ants react aggressively towards F. lugubris ants.Formica paralugubris differs in its organization as a supercolony. It has been introduced into North America with the import of pine trees. It does not exhibit characteristics found in other invasive species due to its limited native range.

Ecology

Nestmates within a F. paralugubris colony can recognize each other. F. paralugubris worker ants are known to collect conifer resin and place near their brood; this resin contains antimicrobial properties that the ants often modify by releasing formic acid onto the resin. Formic acid in combination with resin has antifungal properties.

References

  1. ^ Chapuisat, Michel; Bernasconi, Christian; Hoehn, Sophie; Reuter, Max (1 January 2005). "Nestmate recognition in the unicolonial ant Formica paralugubris". Behavioral Ecology. 16 (1): 15–19. doi:10.1093/beheco/arh128. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  2. Seifert, Bernhard (February 16, 2015). "The supercolonial European wood ant Formica paralugubris SEIFERT, 1996 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) introduced to Canada and its predicted role in Nearctic forests" (PDF). Myrmecological News. 22. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. Chapuisat, Michel; Oppliger, Anne; Magliano, Pasqualina; Christe, Philippe (2007). "Wood Ants Use Resin to Protect Themselves against Pathogens". Proceedings: Biological Sciences. 274 (1621): 2013–2017. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.0531. ISSN 0962-8452. JSTOR 25249282. PMC 2275180. PMID 17535794.
  4. Brütsch, Timothée; Jaffuel, Geoffrey; Vallat, Armelle; Turlings, Ted C. J.; Chapuisat, Michel (April 2017). "Wood ants produce a potent antimicrobial agent by applying formic acid on tree-collected resin". Ecology and Evolution. 7 (7): 2249–2254. Bibcode:2017EcoEv...7.2249B. doi:10.1002/ece3.2834. PMC 5383563. PMID 28405288.


Taxon identifiers
Formica paralugubris


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