Formica rufibarbis
Worker from the red-bearded slave ant ( Formica rufibarbis )
The red-bearded slave ant ( Formica rufibarbis ) from the subfamily of ants scales ( Formicinae ) belongs to the genus of wood ants (Formica ) and there to the sub-genre of slave ants ( Serviformica ).
- 5.1 Synonyms
Features
The workers are 4 to 7.5 millimeters in size, the queens of 9 to 11 mm and the males 9 to 10 millimeters. The gaster and head are matt black to brown, the thorax is reddish with varying degrees of redness. The color can vary from black to reddish bright red. This type can easily be confused with Formica cunicularia, Formica Formica pratensis and clara.
The related gray black slaves ant ( Formica fusca ) is fully colored black, blood red prey ant ( Formica sanguinea ) has a reddish head. Both are therefore easily distinguished from the red-bearded slave ant. The wood ant (Formica rufa) and the Kahlrückige wood ant (Formica polyctena ) colonize another habitat.
Dissemination
The red-bearded slave ant arrives in Europe from Iberia prior to Western Siberia. In the Alps there is this kind up to an altitude of 2000 meters. This species is widespread planar to submontane throughout Germany.
Habitat
Formica rufibarbis preferred kurzgrasige, thermophilic grassland habitats, usually with sandy soil or sandy earth ground. It is thus on dry grass, like home even on roadsides and is also found in gardens. The red-bearded slave ant is overall somewhat thermophilic than the very similar species Formica cunicularia and penetrates unlike this also further into urban habitats.
Behavior
This ant is very aggressive, especially in attacks on the nest and defends better against social parasites as Formica cunicularia. Nevertheless, it is a helper for other ant species, such as the Blood Red robbery ant ( Formica sanguinea ). In addition, Formica rufibarbis can climb well and also climb vertical glass walls. The reproductives swarm between late June and early August.
Nutrition
Formica rufibarbis feeds mostly zoophag, so of insects and arachnids, to a lesser extent from the honeydew of root and aphids.
Nesting
The nests of this ant are underground and mostly simple nest in soil, without hills. To the many nest entrances, however, find small piles of sand or earth. Colonies are basically only a single nest. The nest founding claustral done by a single queen, but also in Pleometrose. The colonies with 1,000 to 3,000 workers a little more populous than the colonies of Formica cunicularia and are more polygynous.
System
Formica rufibarbis together with Formica cunicularia, Formica clara and five other species Formica rufibarbis group within the slave ants.
Synonyms
The following names are junior synonyms for Formica rufibarbis:
- Formica fusca var cinereorufibarbis