Shark ant
| Shark ant | ||||||||||||
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Shark ant ( Formica truncorum ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Formica truncorum | ||||||||||||
| Fabricius , 1804 |
The shark ant ( Formica truncorum ) from the subfamily of the scale ants (Formicinae) belongs to the genus of the wood ants ( Formica ).
features
The head and mesosoma are rust-red to reddish-yellow in color. The first tergite of the Gaster is extensively rust-red in color, the rest of the Gaster is brown-black to black in color. The black spots on the pronotum and mesonotum are missing or only appear indistinct. The black color is also completely absent on the head. The mesosoma and the guests show strong, golden-yellow hair and the head has a wreath of protruding hair on the occiput. There are also protruding hairs on the underside of the head. The length of the workers is 3.5 to 9 millimeters.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area extends over all of Europe to the northeast of Asia . This species is quite common in Northern Europe , but further south only in mountainous areas. It lives in warm places on dry and sandy soils, but settlements in peat bogs are also known in Poland . The colonies can be found on the southern edge of the forest or in extensive, sparsely vegetated clearings.
Way of life
The colonies are established socially parasitic in slave ants ( Serviformica ) and the states can remain monogynous for a few years . Over time, the community becomes polygyny through the adoption of young queens . Often then, polydome nest communities also develop. The shark ant is by far not as strongly tied to its location as other wood ants and nest moves are more frequent, for example when there is too much shade, or to avoid food competitors. The nests often only remain in place for a few years. The states are rather small and comprise only a few tens of thousands of women workers. The shark ant hibernates from October to March and swarms on warm days between late June and mid-August.
food
Mainly insects and honeydew serve as food .
Nest building
The classic hill nests made of plant material are small and inconspicuous. They are also more irregularly shaped than the larger nests of the red wood ant ( Formica rufa ) or the bald-backed wood ant ( Formica polyctena ). The irregular domes are usually created on the south side of tree trunks, sometimes also on larger tufts of grass. The materials used are mostly tree needles, small branches and dry grass.
Systematics
The type of shark ant ( Formica truncorum ) is divided into the following subspecies:
- F. truncorum finzii Stitz, 1939
- F. truncorum frontalis Santschi, 1919
- F. truncorum truncorum Fabricius, 1804
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dieter Otto: The red wood ants. 3rd, revised and expanded edition, Westarp Sciences, 2005, ISBN 3-89432718-9 , 192 pages, 77 illustrations.
- ↑ a b Abraham A. Mabelis, J. Paul Chardon: Survival of the trunk ant (Formica truncorum Fabricius, 1804; Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a fragmented habitat . In: Myrmecological News . tape January 9 , 2006, p. 1–11 ( researchgate.net [accessed March 28, 2020]).
- ↑ Formica truncorum finzii. Fauna Europaea, accessed May 25, 2007 .
- ^ Formica truncorum frontalis. Fauna Europaea, accessed May 25, 2007 .
- ^ Formica truncorum truncorum. Fauna Europaea, accessed May 25, 2007 .