Extant: 1 valid subspecies
Formica rubra Linnaeus, 1758 PDF: 580 (w.) [Note: type-locality Sweden, after Linnaeus, 1761 PDF: 427.] SWEDEN. Palearctic. AntCat AntWiki HOLTaxonomic history
[Misspelled as rufa by Zetterstedt, 1838: 450.].Latreille, 1798 PDF: 48 (q.m.); Latreille, 1802a PDF: 248 (q.m.); Wheeler & Wheeler, 1953a PDF: 118 (l.); Hauschteck, 1965 PDF: 325 (k.).Combination in Manica: Jurine, 1807 PDF: 279.Combination in Myrmica: Latreille, 1804: 179; Latreille, 1809 PDF: 131.Status as species: Linnaeus, 1761 PDF: 427; Linnaeus, 1767 PDF: 963; Fabricius, 1782: 490; Fabricius, 1787 PDF: 308; Gmelin, 1790 PDF: 2799; Christ, 1791 PDF: 513; Olivier, 1792: 493; Fabricius, 1793 PDF: 353; Latreille, 1798 PDF: 48; Latreille, 1802a PDF: 246; Walckenaer, 1802: 165; Latreille, 1804: 179; Fabricius, 1804 PDF: 400; Gravenhorst, 1807 PDF: 286; Jurine, 1807 PDF: 279; Latreille, 1809 PDF: 131; Lamarck, 1817 PDF: 98; Latreille, 1818b PDF: 149; Billberg, 1820: 104; Stephens, 1829b: 356; Brullé, 1833 PDF: 327; Losana, 1834 PDF: 330; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835 PDF: 181; Zetterstedt, 1838: 450; Schilling, 1839 PDF: 56; Smith, 1851 PDF: 4; Curtis, 1854: 213; Forel, 1874 PDF: 75 (in key); Emery & Forel, 1879 PDF: 460; Lameere, 1892: 68; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 113; Emery, 1895d PDF: 312; Saunders, 1896 PDF: 39; Forel, 1899b PDF: 63; Emery, 1908a PDF: 169; Bondroit, 1910 PDF: 494; Karavaiev, 1912b PDF: 583; Forel, 1915d: 28 (in key); Emery, 1916a PDF: 119; Escherich, 1917: 325 (in key); Nadig, 1918 PDF: 338; Emery, 1921c PDF: 38; Soudek, 1923b PDF: 110; Stärcke, 1926a PDF: 89 (in key); Karavaiev, 1927d: 258 (in key); Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927e PDF: 193; Santschi, 1932e PDF: 69; Karavaiev, 1934: 65 (redescription); Weber, 1947b PDF: 448; Brian & Brian, 1949 PDF: 393; Creighton, 1950a PDF: 103; Chapman & Capco, 1951 PDF: 128; Sadil, 1952 PDF: 240; Yarrow, 1955c PDF: 114; Ceballos, 1956: 296; Collingwood, 1958d PDF: 67; Collingwood, 1962c PDF: 217, 222; Smith, 1967a PDF: 349; Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969 PDF: 55; Arnol'di, 1970b PDF: 1833 (in key) ; Collingwood, 1971 PDF: 156; Bolton & Collingwood, 1975: 5 (in key); Pisarski, 1975: 10; Arnol'di, 1976a PDF: 554 (in key); Tarbinsky, 1976 PDF: 40 (redescription); Van Boven, 1977 PDF: 115; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 530 (in key); Collingwood, 1978 PDF: 78 (in key); Smith, 1979: 1350; Collingwood, 1979 PDF: 52; Onoyama, 1980a PDF: 197; Pearson, 1981: 75; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a PDF: 53; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b PDF: 267 (in key); Nilsson & Douwes, 1987: 66; Seifert, 1988b: 5 (redescription); Onoyama, 1989a PDF: 131; Casevitz-Weulersse, 1990c PDF: 435; Ogata, 1991b PDF: 78; Morisita et al., 1992: 11; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 83; Arakelian, 1994 PDF: 25; Radchenko, 1994b: 105 (in key); Radchenko, 1994d PDF: 137 (in key); Radchenko, 1994h PDF: 72; Bolton, 1995b: 282; Douwes, 1995: 87; Poldi et al., 1995: 2; Wu & Wang, 1995a: 92; Espadaler, 1997g PDF: 30; Radchenko et al., 1997: 483; Collingwood & Prince, 1998: 12 (in key); Gallé et al., 1998: 214; Wei et al., 2001 PDF: 562 (in key); Czechowski et al., 2002 PDF: 17; Markó & Csosz, 2002 PDF: 112; Imai et al., 2003 PDF: 182; Karaman & Karaman, 2003 PDF: 43; Bračko, 2006 PDF: 138; Markó et al., 2006 PDF: 70; Petrov, 2006 PDF: 87 (in key); Schultz et al., 2006 PDF: 206; Steiner et al., 2006a PDF: 777; Bračko, 2007 PDF: 18; Zryanin & Zryanina, 2007 PDF: 230; Seifert, 2007: 204; Bolton, 2005 PDF: 13 (in key); Werner & Wiezik, 2007 PDF: 146; Gratiashvili & Barjadze, 2008 PDF: 140; Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski, 2009 PDF: 490; Lapeva-Gjonova et al., 2010 PDF: 9; Boer, 2010: 56; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010 PDF: 228; Csosz et al., 2011 PDF: 56; Karaman, 2011b PDF: 45; Legakis, 2011 PDF: 5; Wetterer & Radchenko, 2011 PDF: 87; Borowiec & Salata, 2012 PDF: 522; Ellison et al., 2012: 293; Czechowski et al., 2012: 73; Czekes et al., 2012 PDF: 41 (in key); Guénard & Dunn, 2012 PDF: 48; Kiran & Karaman, 2012 PDF: 22; Yamane & Aibek, 2012 PDF: 180; Borowiec, 2014 PDF: 132; Bračko et al., 2014 PDF: 14; Lebas et al., 2016: 312; Radchenko, 2016: 117; Chen et al., 2016 10.3897/zookeys.551.6005 PDF: 114 (in key); Salata & Borowiec, 2018c 10.5281/zenodo.2199191 PDF: 47; Seifert, 2018: 166.Senior synonym of Myrmica laevinodis bruesi: Yarrow, 1955c PDF: 114; Smith, 1979: 1350; Bolton, 1995b: 282; Imai et al., 2003 PDF: 182; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010 PDF: 228; Radchenko, 2016: 118.Senior synonym of Myrmica rubra champlaini: Yarrow, 1955c PDF: 114; Smith, 1979: 1350; Bolton, 1995b: 282; Imai et al., 2003 PDF: 182; Radchenko, 2016: 117.Senior synonym of Myrmica laevinodis europaea: Radchenko et al., 1997: 483; Czechowski et al., 2002 PDF: 17; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010 PDF: 228; Czechowski et al., 2012: 73; Radchenko, 2016: 118.Senior synonym of Myrmica laevinodis: Yarrow, 1955c PDF: 114; Collingwood, 1958d PDF: 67; Smith, 1967a PDF: 349; Arnol'di, 1970b PDF: 1839; Collingwood, 1971 PDF: 156; Bolton & Collingwood, 1975: 17; Tarbinsky, 1976 PDF: 40; Van Boven, 1977 PDF: 117; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 530 (in key); Collingwood, 1979 PDF: 52; Smith, 1979: 1350; Onoyama, 1980a PDF: 197; Seifert, 1988b: 5; Onoyama, 1989a PDF: 131; Casevitz-Weulersse, 1990c PDF: 435; Arakelian, 1994 PDF: 25; Radchenko, 1994h PDF: 72; Bolton, 1995b: 282; Poldi et al., 1995: 2; Radchenko et al., 1997: 483; Gallé et al., 1998: 214; Czechowski et al., 2002 PDF: 17; Imai et al., 2003 PDF: 182; Radchenko, 2007 PDF: 30; Werner & Wiezik, 2007 PDF: 139; Gratiashvili & Barjadze, 2008 PDF: 140; Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski, 2009 PDF: 490; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010 PDF: 228; Csosz et al., 2011 PDF: 56; Czechowski et al., 2012: 73; Kiran & Karaman, 2012 PDF: 22; Radchenko, 2016: 117.Senior synonym of Myrmica longiscapus: Bolton, 1995b: 282; Imai et al., 2003 PDF: 182; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010 PDF: 228; Radchenko, 2016: 118.Senior synonym of Myrmica microrubra: Steiner et al., 2006a PDF: 777; Werner & Wiezik, 2007 PDF: 146; Radchenko & Elmes, 2010 PDF: 228; Csosz et al., 2011 PDF: 56; Czechowski et al., 2012: 73; Schär & Nash, 2014 10.1111/jeb.12482 PDF: 2396; Radchenko, 2016: 118.[[ worker ]]. Transcaucasie (Satunin!).
[[ worker ]]. L. 3,5 a 4 mill. Se distingue de la M. levinodis typique, dont elle a les antennes, par sa taille plus petite, ses epines plus longues et beaucoup plus greles, aussi minces a la base qu'a l'extremite, sa tete plus rectangulaire, a bord posterieur plus droit et a cotes moins convexes, ses yeux un peu plus petits et plus convexes. Le premier noeud est un peu plus epais (plus long), avec un petiole legerement plus court. Les articles 3 a 5 du funicule sont presque aussi epais que longs. Les noeuds du pedicule ne sont pas lisses, mais tres finement reticules et subopaques. Les rides de la tete un peu plus grossieres que chez la M. levinodis typique. Du reste comme la levinodis typique et de meme couleur.
Ferghana (fl. Kugart, 6 - 8000 ' h., 6 [[ worker ]], 5. VIII. 1895. Korzinskij!); Buchara orient. (Karategin, Kala-i-choit, 2 [[ worker ]], 21. VII; Tabi-dara - Zagyrdescht, 15 [[ worker ]], 17. VI; Larvas, Tasch-Kurgan, 18 [[ worker ]], 22. VIII. 1897. Kaznakov!).
Cette forme merite peut-etre de former une race a part; les sexes ailes decideront de la chose. Elle est bien distincte des M. bergi et stangeana de Ruzsku.
Buchara orient., Schugnan, fl. Gunt et fl. Schach-dara, Charog, 11 [[ worker ]], 11. VIII. 1897 (Kaznakov!).
Myrmica laevinodis Nylander, 1846
Records
(Map 9): Bulgaria ( Emery 1914 , Agosti and Collingwood 1987a , Atanassov and Dlusskij 1992 ); Central Stara Planina Mts: along Kostinya river (Teteven Balkan) [ Atanassov 1936 (as Myrmica rubra laevinodis )]; Eastern Stara Planina Mts: Sliven [ Forel 1892 (as Myrmica laevinodis )]; Sofia Basin: Sofia ( Lapeva-Gjonova and Atanasova 2004 , Antonova and Penev 2006 , 2008 ); Vitosha Mt. [ Atanassov 1952 (as Myrmica laevinodis )]: Knyazhevo [ Forel 1892 (as Myrmica laevinodis )], Zheleznitsa vill. [ Atanassov 1936 (as Myrmica rubra laevinodis )]; Plana Mt.: Plana vill., Kokalyane monastery (Kokalyane vill.), Ivanova mogila peak (Alino vill.) ( Vagalinski and Lapeva-Gjonova in press ); Western Rhodopi Mts: Batak, Velingrad, Rakitovo, Peshtera, Smolyan ( Lapeva-Gjonova in press (a) ).
Transcaucasie, Zakataly, Lagodechi, 4 [[ queen ]], 21. X; 1 [[ male ]], 4. IX; 1 [[ male ]], 2. X; 1 [[ male ]], 21. X. 1896 (Mlokosevic!).
The Bed Ant. B. M.
Formica rubra, Linn . Syst. Nat. 963,7. De Geer, Ins. ii, 1093, 6,
t. 43, f. I. Schrank, Ins. Aust. 415, 837. Oliv. Enc. Meth.
vi. 493. Fabr. Ent. Syst. 353,14. Don. 14,87, t. 503. Latr.
Hist. Nat. Fourm. 246, t. 10, f. 62. Myrmica rubra, Latr . Gen. Crust. Ins. 131. St. Farg. Hist. Nat.
Ins. i. 181,2, t. 2, f. 3, [[ male ]]. Formica minima rubra, Ray , Ins. 69. The Red Ant, Gould, Eng. Ants, ii. 3. Manica rubra, Jurine , 279. Huber, Fourm, 59.
Hab. - Britain, Meadows, Banks, & c.
Formica rubra, Linn . Faun. Suec. 1725. Myrmica caespitum , Zett. Ins. Lapp. 450,1, [[ male ]]. Myrmica ruginodis, Nyland . Adno. Mon. Form. Boreal. 930, 3. Foerster, Hym. Stud. Form. 66, 36.
The majority of specimens examined of this species possessing the Linnean characteristic " punctum nigrum, sub abdomine, " the Linnean name has been retained for it
Myrmica rubra, also known as the common red ant or erroneously the European fire ant, is a species of ant of the genus Myrmica, found all over Europe and is now invasive in some parts of North America[1] and Asia.[2] It is mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. These ants live under stones and fallen trees, and in soil. They are aggressive, often attacking rather than running away, and are equipped with a stinger, though they lack the ability to spray formic acid like the genus Formica.[3]
This species is very similar to M. ruginodis, but M. rubra is the commoner of the two.
The larvae of the butterflies Phengaris alcon (Alcon blue) and P. teleius (scarce large blue) use M. rubra as their primary host.[2]
This is one of the most common and widespread Myrmica species of the Palaearctic. It occurs in the region stretching from Portugal to East Siberia (as far as Transbaikalia), and from northern Greece to the forest-tundra zone in the North. It is also colonizing North America, where it is considered a pest species.[4]
These ants are very common in Europe and the UK and live in meadows and gardens. They live on a diet of honeydew excreted by aphids and feed on many types of insect and other invertebrates. They will attack any creature that disturbs their nest, but are not as aggressive as the red imported fire ant. They also consume pollen, a phenomenon rarely documented in ants of the temperate zone.[5]
This ant's colonies have a polygyne form and can include up to one hundred queens per nest.[6] These queens will have gathered together after their nuptial flight, formed a nest and laid their eggs in it. The species is also polydomous, with many nest sites per individual colony.[2] The queens can live up to fifteen years. Nuptial flights take place normally in late July to mid-August in Europe. Hundreds of young queens and males take to the air to mate together. Afterwards, the males die and the queens shed their wings to make a new colony. No nuptial flights have been witnessed yet from this species where it is living in North America,[2] however male-only mating swarms have been recorded in Newfoundland, Canada.[7]
The ants explore the surrounding area around their nest and look for materials, both plant and animal, to feed their colonies. When they find dead bodies, undertakers pick up the dead bodies and quickly carry them away from their nest up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) away. They choose locations randomly, and so this species does not create cemeteries.[8]
Myrmica rubra, also known as the common red ant or erroneously the European fire ant, is a species of ant of the genus Myrmica, found all over Europe and is now invasive in some parts of North America and Asia. It is mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. These ants live under stones and fallen trees, and in soil. They are aggressive, often attacking rather than running away, and are equipped with a stinger, though they lack the ability to spray formic acid like the genus Formica.
This species is very similar to M. ruginodis, but M. rubra is the commoner of the two.
The larvae of the butterflies Phengaris alcon (Alcon blue) and P. teleius (scarce large blue) use M. rubra as their primary host.
