Formica subsericea

Formica subsericea, colloquially known as the black field ant, is a species of ant in the genus Formica.^[1][2] It is found in the eastern United States and Canada. Workers of this species are incredibly fast and quite timid. Workers of this species are commonly found working as slaves in Polyergus colonies. Nuptial flights typically occur in July or August. It is often confused with another Formica species, Formica fusca.^[3] The larvae of Microdon megalogaster, a member of the ant fly genus, have been observed in the nests of these ants. The inquiline relationship of these fly larvae is not well understood.^[4][5]

Formica subsericea
Formica subsericea worker
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Genus:	Formica
Species:	F. subsericea
Binomial name
Formica subsericea Say, 1836

References

1. Watschke, Thomas L.; Dernoeden, Peter H.; Shetlar, David J. (16 April 2013). Managing Turfgrass Pests, Second Edition. CRC Press. p. 452. ISBN 978-1-4665-5507-5.
2. Bolton, B. (2015). "Formica subsericea". AntCat. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
3. Francoeur, A. (1973). "Révision taxonomique des espèces néarctiques du groupe fusca, genre Formica (Formicidae, Hymenoptera)". Mémoires de la Société Entomologique du Québec (in French). 3: 1–316.
4. Curran, Charles Howard (1925). "Contribution to a monograph of the American Syrphidae north of Mexico". The Kansas University Science Bulletin. 15: 7–216.
5. Heiss, Elizabeth Madeleine (1938). "A classification of the larvae and puparia of the Syrphidae of Illinois exclusive of aquatic forms". Series: Illinois Biological Monographs. 16: 1–142.

External links

• Media related to Formica subsericea at Wikimedia Commons