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| This species ranges throughout Central Europe from the mountains of south ] to north ]. It is present in coastal areas of Southern ] and on the islands of ] and ] in ]. | This species ranges throughout Central Europe from the mountains of south ] to north ]. It is present in coastal areas of Southern ] and on the islands of ] and ] in ]. | ||
| A very thermophilic species, ''T. erraticum'' is found principally on dry ], exposed to the sun. The workers are very agile, and are usually only seen when the sun is shining, and the species can easily be distinguished from superficially similar species (e.g. ] or ]) by its tendency to hold its gaster almost vertically when moving. ] commented: "When the sun is obscured these ants immediately disappear, and on cold and cloudy days very few specimens are to be found away from the nest." | A very thermophilic species, ''T. erraticum'' is found principally on dry ], exposed to the sun. The workers are very agile, and are usually only seen when the sun is shining, and the species can easily be distinguished from superficially similar species (e.g. ]) by its tendency to hold its gaster almost vertically when moving. ] commented: "When the sun is obscured these ants immediately disappear, and on cold and cloudy days very few specimens are to be found away from the nest." | ||
| Colonies are usually small, although larger colonies occasionally occur. Donisthorpe records having found a particularly large colony in ] on ], ] in which "the deälated females and workers in this nest being the largest I have ever seen". | Colonies are usually small, although larger colonies occasionally occur. Donisthorpe records having found a particularly large colony in ] on ], ] in which "the deälated females and workers in this nest being the largest I have ever seen". | ||
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| Nuptial flights take place in June, although they may be postponed during colder years to July. | Nuptial flights take place in June, although they may be postponed during colder years to July. | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| ---- | |||
| *] | |||
| Also see ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| See ] for an alphabetical compendium of worldwide ant genera. | |||
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| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 19:57, 24 March 2006
| Erratic Ant | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Genus: | Tapinoma |
| Species: | T. erraticum |
| Binomial name | |
| Tapinoma erraticum Latreille, 1789 | |
The Erratic Ant (Tapinoma erraticum) is a species of dolicherdorine ant first described in 1789 by Latreille.
This species ranges throughout Central Europe from the mountains of south Italy to north Germany. It is present in coastal areas of Southern England and on the islands of Gotland and Öland in Sweden.
A very thermophilic species, T. erraticum is found principally on dry heathland, exposed to the sun. The workers are very agile, and are usually only seen when the sun is shining, and the species can easily be distinguished from superficially similar species (e.g. Lasius niger) by its tendency to hold its gaster almost vertically when moving. Horace Donisthorpe commented: "When the sun is obscured these ants immediately disappear, and on cold and cloudy days very few specimens are to be found away from the nest."
Colonies are usually small, although larger colonies occasionally occur. Donisthorpe records having found a particularly large colony in Weybridge on July 29th, 1913 in which "the deälated females and workers in this nest being the largest I have ever seen".
Colonies are polygynous and have been recorded to contain up to 40 deälated females. Nests are shallow and small solaria often feature in nest structure to concentrate solar heat onto the ants' brood.
Nuptial flights take place in June, although they may be postponed during colder years to July.
See also
- British ants
- List of locales in Britain where ant species have become locally extinct
- List of the common names of British ant species
- List of ant genera (alphabetical)