Formica obscuripes, the western thatching ant, is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is native to North America. It produces large mounds covered by small pieces of plant material.[1] The number of adult workers per colony may be as high as 40,000.[2] F. obscuripes feeds upon a number of insect species, consumes nectar from homopterous insects they tend, and occasionally eats plant tissue.[1]
| Formica obscuripes | |
|---|---|
| |
| F. obscuripes worker | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Formica |
| Species: | F. obscuripes
|
| Binomial name | |
| Formica obscuripes Forel, 1886
| |
Biology
editColonies
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F. obscuripes creates distinct, dome-shaped mounds composed of varying materials found in the nest's surrounding environment. This composition is primarily vegetation and is commonly called "thatch". The mounds are typically constructed in areas devoid of cover to expose the nest to sunlight. The size of these mounds is highly variable and is mostly determined by the age and health of the colony. The height ranges from 1 to 18 inches (15–45 cm), although nests of larger heights are not uncommon, and can extend down to 4 ft (1.2 m) in the ground, with chambers present in both the thatched mound and the soil. The condition of the thatched mound is in a constant state of change due to activities by the ants and changes in the environment.[3] To prevent plants from shading the nest, the ants may chew off the bark at the base of plants growing on or nearby the mound. Formic acid is then sprayed into the open layer eventually killing and felling the plants.[4]
In the Blue Mountains of Oregon, F. obscuripes has demonstrated the capacity for polydomy. A supercolony in a four-hectare (9.9 acre) study area near Lehman Hot Springs consisted of 210 active nests with an estimated population in excess of 56 million ants.[5]
Chemistry
editThe poison sprayed by Formica obscuripes consists of formic acid, eight straight-chain alkanes, a branched-chain alkane and five alkenes. The major component, formic acid, has been found to vary from 8 to 96% and average 73% of the volatiles in the secretion. A variation was also seen with the second most abundant compound, undecane, which ranged from 3 to 63% of the sprayed secretion and averaged 19%.[6]
Distribution
editF. obscuripes is found in a variety of habitats in North America, particularly the United States of America. Most specimens are collected from the Midwest and between the Rocky Mountains and the American west coast.[7] Populations in the Pacific Northwest may represent a distinct species, Formica planipilis,[8] and have been described by hobbyists as typically producing larger colonies and mounds than populations elsewhere, though this has not been confirmed. Pacific Northwest populations are additionally distinguished by the unique coloration of the gynes, which sport entirely black bodies with red heads.
References
edit- ^ a b Heikkinen, M. W. (1999). "Negative effects of the western thatching ant (Formica obscuripes) on spiders (Araneae) inhabiting big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata)". Great Basin Naturalist. 59 (4): 380–383.
- ^ Capinera, J. L. (2008). Encyclopedia of Entomology, Volume 3. Springer. p. 4215. ISBN 978-1-4020-6242-1.
- ^ Weber, N (1935). "The Biology of the Thatching Ant, Formica rufa obscuripes Forel, in North Dakota" (PDF). Ecological Monographs. 5 (2): 165–206. Bibcode:1935EcoM....5..165W. doi:10.2307/1948522. JSTOR 1948522.
- ^ Cole, S.C. Jr. (1932). "The Thatching Ant, Formica obscuripes Forel" (PDF). Psyche: A Journal of Entomology. 39 (1–2): 30–33. doi:10.1155/1932/61715.
- ^ J. McIver, T. Torgersen and N. Cimon. A supercolony of the thatch ant Formica obscuripes Forel (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) from the Blue Mountains of Oregon. Northwest Science vol 71 issue 1, Feb 1997 (full-text)
- ^ Faith G. W.; Sollers B. G.; D Feeny R. M.; Wood W. J. L.; Wood W. F. (2011). "Chemical analysis of the defensive secretion from the western thatching ant, Formica obscuripes". Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research. 10: 15–17.
- ^ "Species: Formica obscuripes". AntWeb. Version 8.108. California Academy of Science. 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ Stockan, Jenni A.; Robinson, Elva J. H.; Trager, James C.; Yao, Izumi; Seifert, Bernhard (June 2016). Wood Ant Ecology and Conservation. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781107261402. ISBN 9781107261402.
External links
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Media related to Formica obscuripes at Wikimedia Commons- "Formica obscuripes". The Encyclopedia of Life.
- "Discover Life: Formica obscuripes". Retrieved 2010-09-19.
- "BugGuide: Western Thatching Ant - mound - Formica obscuripes". Retrieved 2010-09-19.
- "BugGuide: Western Thatching Ants - Formica obscuripes". Retrieved 2010-09-19.
- "AntWiki: Formica obscuripes". Archived from the original on 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
