ernietta plateauensis , the sole species of the genus ernietta , is a bag-shaped erniettomorph genus that lived half-buried in sediment , and probably fed by osmosis .

it had chambered walls .

its fossils has been found in sandstones of the kanies and kliphoek members of the dabis formation , namibia .

this deposits have an age more than 548 myr .

the name has also been misspelled as ernettia in some papers .

many species are now recognized as junior synonyms of ernietta plateauensis , including : ernietta tschanabis phlug , 1972 e. aarensis phlug , 1972 erniaster aportus phlug , 1972 e. patellus phlug , 1972 erniobaris baroides phlug , 1972 e. epistuta phlug , 1972 e. gula phlug , 1972 e. parietalis phlug , 1972 erniobeta forensis phlug , 1972 e. scapulosa phlug , 1972 erniocarpis sermo phlug , 1972 erntocentris centriformis phlug , 1972 erniodiscus clypeus phlug , 1972 e. rutilus phlug , 1972 erniofossa prognatha phlug , 1972 erniograndis paraglossa phlug , 1972 e. sandalix phlug , 1972 ernionorma abyssoides phlug , 1972 e. clausula phlug , 1972 e. peltis phlug , 1972 e. rector phlug , 1972 e. tribunalis phlug , 1972 erniopelta scruputa phlug , 1972 erniotaxls segmontrix phlug , 1972

ernietta

ernietta <EOT> ernietta aarensis : gsn 36 ( f407 - h ) ( pflug no 36 ) .

the view from ernietta hill on farm aar near aus , namibia taken by les kriesfeld and jay kaufman in summer 2014 .

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proceedings of the national academy of sciences , volume 106 , issue 34 , 2009 , pp . 14438 - 14443

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this article has been cited by the following publications . this list is generated based on data provided by crossref .

dunn , frances s . liu , alexander g . and donoghue , philip c . j . 2018 . ediacaran developmental biology . biological reviews , vol . 93 , issue . 2 , p . 914 .

retallack , gregory j . 2017 . reassessment of the devonian problematicum protonympha as another post - ediacaran vendobiont . lethaia ,

pflug , 1966 is the type species of the erniettomorpha , an extinct clade of ediacaran life . it was likely a gregarious , partially infaunal organism . despite its ecological and taxonomic significance , there has not been an in - depth systematic description in the literature since the original description fell out of use . a newly discovered field site on farm aar in southern namibia has yielded dozens of specimens buried in original life position . mudstone and sandstone features associated with the fossils indicate that organisms were buried while still exposed to the water column rather than deposited in a flow event .

was a sac - shaped erniettomorph with a body wall constructed from a double layer of tubes . it possessed an equatorial seam lying perpendicular to the tubes . the body is asymmetrical on either side of this seam . the tubes change direction along the body length and appear to be constricted together in the dorsal part of the organism .

robinson , r . a . , and teichert , c . , eds . ,

lipps , j . h . , and signor , p . w . , eds . ,

zur fauna der nama - schichten in südwest - afrika ; iii . erniettomorpha , bau und systematik

schopf j . w . , and klein , c . , eds . ,

gradstein , f . , ogg , j . , schmitz , m . d . , and ogg , g . , eds . ,

fedonkin , m . a . , gehling , j . g . , grey , k . , narbonne , g . m . , and vickers - rich , p . , eds . ,

email your librarian or administrator to recommend adding this journal to your organisation ' s collection .

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the ediacaran was a period of wide soft - bodied biota development in marine siliciclastic environment . the reconstruction of palaeoecology , lifestyle and environment settings of these organisms are among the challenges in characterising the earliest metazoan life on earth . the biota colonised sea bottoms and were living as benthic communities occurring in a wide spectrum of environmental settings ( e . g . gehling 2000 ; waggoner 2003 ; narbonne 2005 ; grazhdankin 2004 ; droser et al . 2006 ) . in the classical localities ( e . g . newfoundland , namibia , white sea and australia ) , the fossils occur in rock successions with distinct depositional settings ranging from distributary mouth - bar of braid - delta systems to deep - water slope ( gehling 2000 ; grazhdankin 2004 ; narbonne 2005 ) .

these keywords were added by machine and not by the authors . this process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves .

the authors are grateful to vw - foundation ( i / 78 706 ) and the göttingen courant center of geobiology ( german excellence initiative ) for financial support of fieldwork in namibia . the owners of hansburg and wegkruip farms are cordially thanked for their help in accessing the outcrops . our thanks extend also to people in konkiep lapa restcamp for the hospitality and help . o . elicki is thanked for his constructive review that improved the final manuscript , all comments and suggestions are gratefully acknowledged .

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myrmica rubra , also known as the european fire ant or common red ant , is a species of ant of the genus myrmica , found all over europe and in some parts of north america and asia .

they are mainly red in colour , with slightly darker pigmentation on the head .

the ants live under stones , fallen trees , and in soil .

they are aggressive ants , often attacking rather than running away , and are equipped with a sting , though lack the ability to spray formic acid like the genus formica .

this is one of the most common and widespread myrmica species of the palaearctic .

occurs in the region stretching from portugal to east siberia ( till transbaikalia ) , and from northern greece to the forest-tundra natural zone in the north .

it is also currently invading japan and north america where they are considered a nuisance as it is an invasive species .

their colonies have a polygyne form , and can have up to one hundred queens per nest .

they are also polydomous , with many nest sites per individual colony .

these queens will have gathered together after their nuptial flight and will have formed a nest and laid their eggs in it .

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 .

they are very common in europe and live in meadows and gardens .

they live on a diet of honeydew excreted by aphids , and , being very aggressive like to eat 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 temperal zone .

it is very similar to m. ruginodis , and the differences are very hard to tell .

however , myrmica rubra is the commoner of the two .

the larvae of the butterfly maculinea alcon ( alcon blue ) as well as maculinea teleius use myrmica rubra as their primary host .

myrmica rubra

myrmica rubra <EOT> myrmica laevinodis , ( nylander ) myrmica laevinodis , var . bruesi ( weber ) myrmica rubra r . champlaini , ( forel ) myrmica longiscapus , ( curtis ) myrmica rubra laevinodis , ( nylander ) myrmica levinodis , ( dalla torre ) myrmica rubra st . laevinodis , ( nylander ) atta rubra , ( linnaeus ) formica ( myrmecia ) rubra , ( linnaeus ) formica ( myrmica ) rubra , ( linnaeus ) formica rubra , ( linnaeus ) manica rubra , ( linnaeus )

myrmica rubra is a myrmicine ant , one of 116 species recorded in this genus . there are several species of myrmica in north america . among the most commonly reported are myrmica detritinodis , myrmica incompleta , myrmica emeryana , myrmica brevinodis , myrmica americana , myrmica fracticornus , and myrmica evaneda , which makes the morphological identification of myrmica rubra complicated . some of these species are not very common in the northeastern united states and most are rarely found in disturbed areas , which help us to recognize myrmica rubra in the field .

the above specimen data are provided by antweb . please see myrmica rubra for further details

principal source : landcare research . 2006 . myrmica rubra information sheet , research , invasive ants .

myrmica rubra are scavengers and predators . they work around the clock from june to september obtaining food .

informations on myrmica rubra has been recorded for the following locations . click on the name for additional informations .

landcare research . 2006 . myrmica rubra information sheet , research , invasive ants . summary : this information sheet provides comprehensive information about the biology , impacts and control options for myrmica rubra . available from : urltoken [ 28 september 2006 ]

the life cycle in the united states is still being studied . myrmica rubra is polygynous ( many queens per colony ) and polydomous ( many nests per individual colony ) . this situation allows myrmica rubra to maintain very high densities of individuals and nests in some areas . myrmica rubra colonies are also extremely mobile and some colonies move their nests regularly throughout the summer .

myrmica rubra can be dispersed via the movement of infested potted plants , mulch and fill ( landcare research , 2006 ) .

japanese ant database group . ( 2003 ) . myrmica rubra . summary : available from urltoken [ accessed 26 june , 2009 ]

recommended citation : global invasive species database ( 2018 ) species profile : myrmica rubra . downloaded from urltoken on 09 - 07 - 2018 .

figure 5 . symptoms of an individual sting by the european fire ant , myrmica rubra linnaeus . photograph by e . groden , university of maine .

in addition to its nuisance impact , myrmica rubra is also having significant effects on natural ecosystems . myrmica rubra appears to be responsible for the reduction of the ant diversity , richness , and abundance in infested areas , and has also exacerbated populations of plant feeding hemipteran pests such as aphids and scales .

ordered 26 - 50 myrmica rubra . took only 3 days from germany too holland and received 2 queens and 40 - 50 workers ! thanks antstore !

myrmica rubra is native to the palearctic regions of europe and asia from ireland to western siberia ( czechowski et al . 2000 ) . in the old world , myrmica rubra is found from 25° latitude north to the arctic circle ( 66°n ) ( elmes et al . 1999 ) . based on its native distribution , the potential invasive range of myrmica rubra in north america would span the southern - most inland part of florida to the north of hudson bay in canada .

groden e . ( 2003 ) . european imported red ant ( myrmica rubra ) in maine . entomology - university of maine . ( no longer available online )

elmes , g . w . 1973 . miniature queens of the ant myrmica rubra l . ( hymenoptera , formicidae ) . entomologist 106 : 133 - 136 pdf

there are around 200 different known species of the red stinging ant ‘myrmica sp’ .

figure 6 . worker ants of the european fire ant , myrmica rubra linnaeus , attending aphids and other homopterans in maine . photograph by f . drummond , university of maine .

champlaini . myrmica rubra r . champlaini forel , 1901h : 80 ( w . ) canada . subspecies of laevinodis : weber , 1947 : 454 ; of rubra : creighton , 1950a : 103 . junior synonym of laevinodis : smith , m . r . 1951a : 789 .

bertelsmeier et al . ( 2015 ) examined elements of interspecific aggression between this species and several other highly invasive ants . in laboratory assays myrmica rubra was adept at avoiding aggressive interactions . when confronted by workers of other invasive ant species m . rubra either acted indifferently or moved away .

europaea . myrmica laevinodis var . europaea finzi , 1926 : 84 ( w . ) norway . [ first available use of myrmica rubra subsp . champlaini var . europaea forel , 1911h : 457 ; unavailable name . ] santschi , 1931b : 339 ( m . ) . subspecies of laevinodis : stitz , 1939 : 83 ; of rubra : bolton , 1995b : 279 . junior synonym of rubra : radchenko , czechowski & czechowska , 1997 : 483 ; czechowski , radchenko & czechowska , 2002 : 17 .

figure 4 . workers of the european fire ant , myrmica rubra linnaeus , gathering and protecting various larval instars after the nest was disturbed . photograph by h . a . arevalo , university of maine .

fedoseeva , e . b . 2015 . a technological approach to the description of group foraging in ant myrmica rubra . zoologichesky zhurnal . 94 : 1163 - 1178 . doi : 10 . 1134 / s0013873815080060

senior synonym of myrmica laevinodis ( and its junior synonyms myrmica bruesi , myrmica champlaini , myrmica longiscapus ) : yarrow , 1955c pdf : 114 ; arnol ' di , 1970b pdf : 1839 ; boven , 1977 pdf : 115 ; arnol ' di & dlussky , 1978 : 530 ; collingwood , 1979 pdf : 52 ; seifert , 1988b : 5 ; of myrmica europaea : radchenko , czechowski & czechowska , 1997 : 483 ; czechowski , radchenko & czechowska , 2002 pdf : 17 ; of myrmica microrubra : steiner , schlick - steiner , konrad , et al . 2006 : 777 .

the first reports of red ants stinging people in maine occurred from the late 1960s to the mid - 1970s , but it was not until 1986 that the species was confirmed as myrmica rubra . complaints received by the university of maine cooperative extension office have increased sharply since 1998 ( groden et al . 2005 ) . today myrmica rubra is considered a nuisance pest in most places where it is established in north america .

bologna , a . and c . detrain . 2015 . steep decline and cessation in seed dispersal by myrmica rubra ants . plos one . 10 . doi : 10 . 1371 / journal . pone . 0139365

groden e , drummond fa , garnas j , franceour a . 2005 . distribution of an invasive ant , myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) , in maine . journal of economic entomology 98 : 1774 - 1784 .

figure 1 . adult worker of the european fire ant , myrmica rubra linnaeus . notice the sting , the two - segmented waist and the two spines on the propodeum . photograph by e . groden , university of maine .

radchenko and elmes ( 2010 ) - from the latin word rubra = red , to describe its generally reddish colour .

bruesi . myrmica laevinodis var . bruesi weber , 1947 : 453 ( w . q . m . ) u . s . a . [ first available use of myrmica rubra subsp . laevinodis var . bruesi wheeler , w . m . 1906a : 38 ; unavailable name . ] junior synonym of laevinodis : creighton , 1950a : 104 .

please see antweb : myrmica rubra for more images and assistance with identification . the antweb image comparison tool lets you compare images of ants at the subfamily , genus , species or specimen level . you may also specify which types of images you would like to compare : head , profile , dorsal , or label . there are several native species of myrmica in new england , and distinguishing them from m . rubra can be difficult ( landcare research , 2006 ) .

weir , j . s . 1957 . effect of anaesthetics on workers of the ant myrmica . journal of experimental biology . 34 : 464 - 468 . summary : provides additional information on the use of anaesthetics with m . rubra .

onoyama , k . 1989a . confirmation of the occurrence of myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) in japan with taxonomic and ecological notes . jpn . j . entomol . 57 : 131 - 135 ( page 131 , see also )

schar , s . & nash , d . r . 2014 . evidence that microgynes of myrmica rubra ants are social parasites that attack old host colonies . journal of evolutionary biology , doi : 10 . 1111 / jeb . 12482 .

vepsalainen , k . , ebsen , j . r . , savolainen , r . , boomsma , j . j . 2009 . genetic differentiation between the ant myrmica rubra and its microgynous social parasite . insectes sociaux 56 : 425–437 .

gammans , n . r . , drummond , f . , gorden , e . and stock , p . 2006 . use of pheromones in bait stations to control the invasive european fire ant , myrmica rubra . summary : this article discusses the use of pheromones in attracting m . rubra to bait stations . available from : urltoken [ accessed 28 october 2006 ]

butterflies of the highly endangered genus maculinea are parasites of myrmica ants . a recent study by anton et al ( 2008 ) indicates that maculinea nausithous is limited by the density of its host ant , m . rubra . they suggest that habitat management to increase densities of this endangered butterfly should focus on the optimization of habitats that enable high densities of m . rubra .

bell , d . a . , felse , j . , mescher , m . and holbrook , g . 2002 . potential supercolonialism in north american myrmica rubra . summary : this presentation suggested that there may be an approach towards supercolonialism in populations of m . rubra on mount desert island , maine , usa . available from : urltoken [ accessed 28 september 2006 ]

naumann and higgins ( 2015 ) examined the influence of this species on native insects . abstract : pitfall trapping revealed that the european fire ant , myrmica rubra ( linnaeus ) ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) , represents an unusual example of a temperate invasive ant species . in british columbia , canada , m . rubra populations are associated with a decreased incidence and abundance of other ant species in three different plant communities when compared with m . rubra - free control areas . m . rubra represented more than 99 . 99 % of the total ant fauna caught in the infested areas , and the numbers of m . rubra captured in the plant communities ranged from over 10 times to over 1300 times the total number of all ants collected in corresponding m . rubra - free areas . total numbers of some taxa of insects and non - insect arthropods , including those likely to be competitors or prey of m . rubra , were reduced where the invasive species was present . biodiversity indexes for the overall suite of captured arthropod species were lower where m . rubra was present in all three plant communities but most of this decrease can be attributed to the difference in the ant fauna .

figure 2 . distribution of the european fire ant , myrmica rubra linnaeus , in the unites states and canada . this information is based on the published literature and surveys conducted between 2002 and 2004 . illustration by h . alejandro arevalo , university of maine .

leppanen , j . , vepsalainen , k . , savolainen , r . 2011 . phylogeography of the ant myrmica rubra and its inquiline social parasite . ecology and evolution 1 ( 1 ) : 46–62 ( doi 10 . 1002 / ece3 . 6 ) .

myrmica rubra infestations are particularly severe in many areas along the sea coast , lakes and streams . these are areas with high value for tourism . home and business owners are concerned about the impact of these ants on their activities , income , and value of their property

czechowski , w . , radchenko , a . & czechowska , w . ( 2007 ) . mermithid infestation strikingly alters the morphology of myrmica rubra ( l . ) ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) : possible taxonomical involvements . annales zoologici 51 ( 2 ) : abstract .

wardlaw , j . c . 1995 . the effect of carbon dioxide on egg production in myrmica rubra . ins . soc . . 42 : 325 - 328 . summary : this paper discusses the use of carbon dioxide as an anaesthetic for examining ants in a laboratory situation .

figure 3 . detail of the head of an adult worker of the european fire ant , myrmica rubra linnaeus . notice the bent scape , the frontal lobes with respect to the base of the antenna , and the sculptured head . photograph by e . groden , university of maine .

groden , e . , drummond , f . a . , garnas , j . , franceour , a . 2005 . distribution of an invasive ant , myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) , in maine . journal of economic entomology 98 ( 6 ) , 1774 - 1784 .

workers of myrmica rubra are of a reddish - brown color , but the coloration greatly varies between individuals and colonies . workers are small ( 4 to 5 mm ) , their waist has two segments , the head and the mesosoma are heavily sculpted , but the abdomen is shiny . the worker ' s body is cover with fine hairs . the antennae are 12 - segmented with a four - segmented club and a bent scape . the propodeum ( the first abdominal segment fused anteriorly to the thorax ) has two spines pointing backwards , which is one of the main differences from other native ants ( not of the genus myrmica ) in the northeastern u . s . there are a few morphological differences that help to differentiate myrmica rubra from the other ants within the same genus . when viewed dorsally , the frontal lobes of myrmica rubra look thin and lamellar , laterally developed and do not cover the antennal base , and the propodeal lobes form a 90° angle apically ( francoeur , unpublished data ) .

le roux , a . m . , le roux , g . & thibout , e . ( 2002 ) . food experience on the predatory behavior of the ant myrmica rubra towards a specialist moth , acrolepiopsis assectella . journal of chemical ecology 28 ( 11 ) : 2307 - 2314 .

wheeler wm . 1908 . a european ant ( myrmica laevinodis ) introduced into massachusetts . journal of economic entomology 1 : 336 - 339 .

myrmica rubra has become a significant pest in areas in the northeastern u . s . primarily because these aggressive , stinging ants interfere with people ' s use and enjoyment of their properties , gardens and parks . myrmica rubra ' s extremely high densities foraging both on herbaceous plants , shrubs and trees in combination with the cryptic nature of their nests , the probability of people and their pets inadvertently disrupting the ant ' s activities is very high . when disrupted , the ants will deliver a painful sting which has in a few cases produced severe allergic reactions to the venom including anaphylactic shock .

groden , e . and drummond , f . a . 2003 . management of the european fire ant in eastern maine . us environmental protection agency . summary : this paper provides information about management of myrmica rubra in eastern maine , usa . available from : urltoken [ accessed 28 september 2006 ]

groden , e . , drummond , f . a . , garnas , j . & franceour , a . ( 2005 ) . distribution of an invasive ant , myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) , in maine . journal of economic entomology 98 ( 6 ) : 1774 - 1784 .

bibliography bradley , g . . " ants - myrmica rubra - formicidae - uk safari . " urltoken n . p . , n . d . web . 5 feb . 2011 . < urltoken > . eleanor , groden , drummond francis a . , garnas jefferey , and franceour andre . " distribution of an invasive ant , myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) , in maine . " journal of economic entomology 98 . 6 ( 2005 ) : n . pag . entomofaune du quebec . web . 23 may 2011 . groden , eleanor . email interview . 26 feb . 2011 groden , eleanor . " natural enemies of the invasive ant , myrmica rubra . " powerpoint . school of biology and ecology , university of maine . may 4 2011 groden , eleanor , and h . alejandro arevalo . " european fire ant - myrmica rubra linnaeus . " university of florida entomology and nematology department . version eeny - 410 . university of florida and university of maine , n . d . web . 2 feb . 2011 . < urltoken > . " myrmica rubra ( linnaeus , 1758 ) . " urltoken n . p . , 29 sept . 2009 . web . 2 mar . 2011 . < urltoken > . " myrmica rubra , the common red ant . " urltoken n . p . , n . d . web . 29 jan . 2011 . < urltoken > . " researchers try to squash fire ant population - wabi tv5 . " urltoken community broadcasting service , 22 july 2010 . web . 17 mar . 2011 . < urltoken > . " the european fire ant ( myrmica rubra ) . " urltoken university of maine , n . d . web . 6 mar . 2011 . < urltoken > . " the university of maine - cooperative extension publications - bulletin # 2550 , european fire ant : a new invasive insect in maine . " urltoken maine agricultural center university of maine cooperative extension ornamental horticulture program leadership team , n . d . web . 2 may 2011 . < urltoken > . mla formatting by bibme . org .

leppänen , j . , seppä , p . , vepsäläinen , k . , savolainen , r . 2016 . mating isolation between the ant myrmica rubra and its microgynous social parasite . insectes sociaux 63 : 79 - 86 ( doi 10 . 1007 / s00040 - 015 - 0438 - y ) .

myrmica rubra , commonly known as the european fire ant , is an aggressive ant species which has been introduced from its native eurasia to eastern north america , where it appears able to reach sizeable densities . it has a painful sting , and also impacts on native ants and other invertebrates , and reptiles .

garnas , j . r . , drummond , f . a . & groden , e . ( 2007 ) . intercolony aggression within and among local populations of the invasive ant , myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) , in coastal maine . environmental entomology 36 ( 1 ) : 105 - 113 .

leclerc , j . - b . , detrain , c . 2017 . loss of attraction for social cues leads to fungal - infected myrmica rubra ants withdrawing from the nest . animal behaviour 129 , 133 - 141 ( doi 10 . 1016 / j . anbehav . 2017 . 05 . 002 ) .

however , in europe and northern asia , where these ants are native , ants in the genus myrmica are considered important for the conservation of rare maculinea butterflies that live in association with the ants . myrmica rubra in particular is considered to be a host for maculinea teleius , maculinea nausithous , and two cryptic species of maculinea alcon ( elmes et al . 1998 ) . these butterflies are an important research topic due to their social - parasitic relationship with myrmica ants and their importance as bioindicators of the health of paleartic , and moist - grassland ecosystems in europe ( mouquet et al . 2005 ) .

myrmica rubra linnaeus , often called the european fire or red ant , is an adventive species found mainly in the northeastern united states . it was first discovered in massachusetts in 1908 by wheeler ( 1908 ) . this stinging ant species is considered to be a potential health and ecological risk to the u . s .

in north america , myrmica rubra has been reported in maine , massachusetts , new york , pennsylvania , new jersey , washington d . c . , rhode island , and new hampshire in the us , and in ontario , québec , new brunswick , and nova scotia in canada ( groden et al . 2005 ) .

although workers in supercolonies appear to be very tolerant towards their neighbouring colony members , they can be very aggressive towards other organisms , stinging people and other animals freely ( personal observations ) ; however , laboratory studies suggest that m . rubra workers do not have especially different aggressive responses compared to other members of the genus ( de vroey and pasteels 1978 ) . m . rubra have a well equipped sting apparatus ( billen 1986 ) and although some people react allergically to the venom , the sting and venom does not seem markedly different from that of other free - stinging myrmicines ( e . g . blum and herman 1978 ) . most people ( including one of us - ar ) think that m . rubra stings seem particularly painful compared to other myrmica species . however in the opinion of the other author ( gwe ) when individuals of other myrmica are provoked into stinging ( usually in hot conditions ) a single sting can be equally painfully as that of m . rubra , perhaps even more so if the specimen is large : m . rubra having acquired its reputation because colonies are corporately aggressive and individuals sting rapidly and frequently even when fairly cool .

brian , m . v . ; brian , a . d . 1949 . observations on the taxonomy of the ants myrmica rubra l . and m . laevinodis nylander . ( hymenoptera : formicidae . ) . trans . r . entomol . soc . lond . 100 : 393 - 409 pdf ( page 393 , see also )

radchenko , a . g . & elmes , g . w . 2010 . myrmica ants of the old world . fauna mundi 3 : 1 - 789 .

microrubra . myrmica microrubra seifert , 1993 : 10 , figs . 1 , 4 ( q . m . ) germany . junior synonym of rubra : steiner , schlick - steiner , konrad , et al . 2006 : 777 . see also : czechowski , radchenko & czechowska , 2002 : 19 ; radchenko & elmes , 2003a : 236 .

this ant is a small black stinging ant which reminds me of a cross between lasius niger and myrmica rubra , though are in the same genus as the latter . they are typically found along the coasts of southern and western england . they can have nests containing up to 30 , 000 ants , but the average is perhaps 10 , 000 .

myrmica rubra is a very interesting species . it was surprising to me that it came to the united states in potting soil and that they have a symbiotic relationship with aphids . when researching this topic , i found some sites that had solid information but , at times , it was very hard to find information because most information was on how to get m . rubra out of your yard or it was only repeating what other websites had already claimed . often many sites had little or no information that was usable . this species was so difficult to research that i had to email professor eleanor groden of the university of maine at orono . she was so helpful . it was very surprising to me that it was hard to find information because myrmica rubra came to the united states first in 1908 and , yet , there is not a lot of readily available information on this species .

species of myrmica ruginodis ; one that has queens which are visibly larger than the workers , and the other has queens which are almost the same size as the worker .

generally , the microhabitat favoured by m . rubra colonies living by rivers and wet meadows ranges from open grass ( about 10 - 20 cm tall ) in the north and west of europe to much longer grass and reeds ( 1 - 2 m tall ) in southern and eastern habitats . much less is known about its distribution in west siberia : m . rubra is one of the commonest ants in various habitats of west and east siberia ( reznikova 1983 ; dmitrienko , petrenko 1976 ) and is particularly common in rivers meadows in north - eastern kazakhstan ( m . woyciechowski , pers . comm . ) . the principal competitors of m . rubra are other myrmica species but in meadows it faces strong competition from lasius niger ( czechowski 1985 ) .

elmes gw , wardlaw jc , nielsen mg , kipyatkov ve , lopatina eb , radchenko ag , barr b . 1999 . site latitude influences on the respiration rate , fat content and the ability of worker ants to rear larvae : a comparison of myrmica rubra ( hymenoptera : formicidae ) populations over their european range . european journal of entomology 96 : 117 - 123 .

myrmica rubra is an aggressive ant species which has a painful sting . it has become a significant pest in many parts of its introduced range in maine , usa . nest densities can reach 4 / m2 , and there are impacts on people , pets , native ants , other invertebrates and reptiles ( landcare research , 2006 ; gammans et al . 2006 ) . m . rubra appears to establish in sizeable colonies in its introduced range , in disturbed and natural areas around residences and commercial buildings . it aggressively defends its territory as well as dominating native species . ( usda - aphis , 2003 ) .

antweb , 2006 . myrmica rubra summary : antweb illustrates ant diversity by providing information and high quality color images of many of the approximately 10 , 000 known species of ants . antweb currently focusses on the species of the nearctic and malagasy biogeographic regions , and the ant genera of the world . over time , the site is expected to grow to describe every species of ant known . antweb provides the following tools : search tools , regional lists , in - depth information , ant image comparision tool pdf field guides maps on antweb and google earth and ant genera of the world slide show . antweb is available from : urltoken [ accessed 26 september 2006 ] the species page is available from : urltoken ; = myrmica & name ; = rubra & project ; = [ accessed 26 september 2006 ]

stanley , 2004 provides comprehensive information about the range of baits available for ant control and eradication . groden and stack , 2003 provide information on managing m . rubra in maine , as does usepa , 2003 .

hauschteck , e . 1965 . halbe haploide chromosomenzahl im hoden von myrmica sulcinodis nyl . ( formicidae ) . experientia ( basel ) 21 : 323 - 325 ( page 325 , karyotype described )

from egg hatch to egg production , queens take at least two years to start a colony . in europe , myrmica rubra produces two types of brood characterized by the time necessary to mature . rapid brood develops in the year that it is laid , but a slower brood will overwinter as third instar larvae and mature to adulthood the following year ( elmes et al . 1998 , elmes et al . 1999 ) .

myrmica rubra is \ " normally polygynous with some 1000 workers , but may develop large polydomous colonies covering up to 2 m2 and consisting of 100s of queens and over 10 000 workers ( saaristo , 1995 ) . unrelated queens have been found cohabiting ( pearson , 1983 ) . densities of m . rubra nests can be as high as 4 per m2 , with more than 5200 workers and 39 queens per nest ( drummond and garnas www57 ) . artificial nesting substrates set out in maine were readily used and were repeatedly vacated and recolonised , suggesting colony movement is high , or that m . rubra’s large polydomous colonies are able to relocate nests in response to shifting optimal conditions for brood production on a short temporal scale ( garnas et al . www57 ) . in poland , mating swarms were present from august until mid - october ( woyciechowski , 1992 ) \ " ( from landcare research , 2006 ) . studies on populations of m . rubra on mount desert island ( maine , usa ) have suggested an approach towards supercolonialism ( bell et al . 2002 ) .

there are seven species of the myrmica family found in this country . these ants tend to be a deep red in colour and can deliver a painful sting . the most common of the seven species is

pearson , b . 1981 . the electrophoretic determination of myrmica rubra microgynes as a social parasite : possible significance in the evolution of ant social parasites . pp . 75 - 84 in : howse , p . e . , clement , j . - l . ( eds . ) biosystematics of social insects . systematics association special volume no . 19 . london : academic press , 346 pp . ( page 75 , see also )

longiscapus . myrmica longiscapus curtis , 1854 : 213 , pl . 23 , figs . 11 - 14 ( w . q . m . ) great britain . junior synonym of laevinodis : mayr , 1863 : 433 .

della santa , e . 2000 . l ' identification des espèces du genre myrmica latreille ( formicidae ) de suisse ; essai de présentation synoptique . bull . romand entomol . 18 : 169 - 187 ( page 171 , status )

elmes gw , thomas ja , wardlaw jc , hochberg me , clarke rt , simcox dj . 1998 . the ecology of myrmica ants in relation to the conservation of maculinea butterflies . journal of insect conservation 2 : 67 - 68 .

nash , d . ( 2006 ) . coevolution of chemical mimicry of maculinea butterflies and their myrmica ant hosts : the importance of spatial scale and gene flow . the iussi 2006 congress symposium 21 : coevolution between social insects and their macroparasites

myrmica rubra are generalist scavengers and predators . workers also feed on honeydew of homoptera and exudates of plants , and tend aphids . workers forage around the clock from early june to september on mount desert island , maine . throughout the autumn months ( september to early november ) there was a significant sigmoidal relationship between temperature and foraging . foraging activity increased with temperature from about 6°c to 13–14°c . above these temperatures , foraging did not appear to increase in response to air temperature ( landcare research , 2006 ) .

m . rubra is a generalist scavenger and predator hunting various small invertebrates ( e . g . petal 1967 ) , but also utilize honeydew and nectar ( flowers and extrafloral nectaries , e . g . felton 1959 ) , aphids and scale insects . they forage on trees and shrubs more frequently than any other myrmica species ( except perhaps m . ruginodis ) ; though in europe arboreal foraging is quite rare while in the supercolonies of maine , usa very many m . rubra workers can be seen foraging high into the canopy ( personal observations ) . m . rubra workers often forage in groups ( e . g . dlussky et al . 1978 ) and they lay and follow chemical foraging trails ( e . g . cammaerts - tricot and verhaeghe 1974 ; cammaerts - tricot et al . 1977 ) . single foragers ( weighing about 2 mg ) are able to exert pulling - forces of about 100 mg . developing a mean power of about 5 . 8 ergs / s ( sudd 1965 ) , a third to a quarter of the strength and power exerted by formica lugubris zett . workers .

see the general biology discussion above for an overview of diet and foraging . novgorodova ( 2015b ) investigated ant - aphid interactions of a dozen honeydew collecting ants in south - central russia . all of the ants studied had workers that showed high fidelity to attending particular aphid colonies , i . e , individual foragers that collect honeydew tend to return to the same location , and group of aphids , every time they leave the nest . myrmica rubra showed no specialization beyond this foraging site fidelity . foragers tended chaitophorus populeti ( panzer ) and aphis pomi de geer .

hey guys , i took a walk in my back yard and rolled over a small log to find a large colony of myrmica rubra under it warming up under the warm log . i thought it was a good opportunity to start a small colony so i caught a few workers and was able to grab one of their queens . this species of ant has multiple queens so me taking one was not harmful at all . the small colony i have now is doing very well and producing a good amount of eggs . the colony is starting its life in a test tube . one of the best ways to raise young ant colonies .

yarrow , i . h . h . 1955c . the type species of the ant genus myrmica latreille . proc . r . entomol . soc . lond . ser . b 24 : 113 - 115 ( page 114 , senior synonym of laevinodis ( and its junior synonyms bruesi , champlaini and longiscapus ) )

cultural control . another tactic is to make the environment less hospitable for this ant . these ants prefer high humidity , moist soil , and reduced exposure to the sun ( lightly shaded habitats ) . reducing irrigation , mowing tall grasses and increasing sun exposure to the ground will decrease favorable nesting and foraging conditions for the ants . these ants build their nests under debris placed on the lawn , including rocks , boards , logs , and anything that maintains a moist environment underneath . reducing nesting sites will reduce the populations and force the ants to nest elsewhere . this method will not eliminate myrmica rubra , but may help to keep population densities low .

in north america , myrmica rubra nests are cryptic and difficult to spot at first glance , as they do not construct obvious mounds from soil . nests are usually in places that maintain high humidity for the colony including in the soil along roots of trees or shrubs , under rocks , logs or other human or natural debris , and in decaying logs . their nest densities are extremely high in infested areas in the u . s . , averaging between 0 . 5 and 1 . 5 nests per square meter , compared with 0 . 02 to 0 . 3 nests per square meter in their native habitat in england ( groden et al . 2005 ) .

arnol ' di , k . v . 1970b . review of the ant genus myrmica ( hymenoptera , formicidae ) in the european part of the ussr . zool . zh . 4 49 : 1829 - 1844 ( page 1839 , senior synonym of laevinodis ( and its junior synonyms bruesi , champlaini and longiscapus ) )

mechanical control . one of the best means to reduce the impact of myrmica rubra is to prevent its further spread . the public should be aware of the risk involved in transporting materials from infested areas . potted plants , soil , mulches , and similar materials should be inspected on site and again before transplanting or use . ant activity can be hard to detect if the colony is small and underground , so careful observation is necessary . if ants are found , it is necessary to avoid using the materials until they can be identified by a reliable source ( entomologist , local cooperative extension service office , or a university entomology identification program ) and / or destroyed .

usda - aphis . 2003 . annual progress report for fy 2003 , usda - aphis cooperative agricultural pest survey for maine . cooperative agreement : 03 - 8223 - 0360 - ca . summary : this report provides up to date information on the status of m . rubra in maine , usa . available from : urltoken [ accessed 28 september 2006 ]

latreille , p . a . 1804 . tableau méthodique des insectes . pp . 129 - 200 in : société de naturalistes et d ' agriculteurs . nouveau dictionnaire d ' histoire naturelle . tome 24 . paris : déterville , 84 + 85 + 238 + 18 + 34 pp . ( page 179 , combination in myrmica )

seifert , b . 1988b . a taxonomic revision of the myrmica species of europe , asia minor , and caucasia ( hymenoptera , formicidae ) . abh . ber . naturkundemus . görlitz 62 ( 3 ) : 1 - 75 ( page 5 , senior synonym of laevinodis ( and its junior synonyms bruesi , champlaini and longiscapus ) )

radchenko , a . g . ; czechowski , w . ; czechowska , w . 1997 . the genus myrmica latr . ( hymenoptera , formicidae ) in poland - a survey of species and a key for their identification . ann . zool . ( warsaw ) 47 : 481 - 500 ( page 483 , senior synonym of europaea )

morphologically m . rubra is comparatively stable over its very wide range ( unlike , for example , m . scabrinodis , which is probably undergoing current speciation in europe – see notes to that species ) , most of its local adaptation appears to have been physiological and perhaps behavioural . consequently , given its abundance , it would be an ideal candidate to attempt phylogeographical history of its invasion of europe using modern molecular analytical techniques . until this occurs we can only hypothesise from whence m . rubra spread . it seems probable to us , that it survived the last ice age in middle asia or maybe the balkans or southeast europe , on so - called “tundra - steppes” , and spread rapidly into europe along the great river margins as the ice melted . coinciding with man ' s deforestation of europe many new habitats were created in the oceanic part of europe , the forests of which would have been generally too cold for colonisation . thus in a sense m . rubra is pre - adapted to invade anthropogenic habitats ( gardens , agrocoenoses ) especially in areas of high rainfall . this might help explain why it has been a very successful invader of the eastern seaboard of usa and canada .

nuptial flights occur from late july and have been reported as late as october . compared to many other myrmica species , m . rubra mating swarms can be quite large aggregations and they have frequently been reported flying quite long distances to join swarms on church towers , high trees and mountain - tops ( e . g . hubbard and nagell 1976 ; woyciechowski 1990b ; personal observations ) . we have on occasion observed nests having recruited a mixture of their own daughters and other young queens ( all fertilised ) , but we are not sure whether their daughters mated in or near to the nest prior to joining the parent colony or flew to a distant swarm , mated and found their way home again . while the latter seems improbable it is what happens in the case of honey bees .

a member of the rubra group . yellowish brown . sculpture dilute ; frontal triangle and subspinal areas smooth and shining . antennal scapes long and slender . petiole node with short indistinct dorsal area sloping evenly without definite break to its junction with the postpetiole . head index : 79 . 5 ; frons index : 49 . 4 ; frontal laminae index : 92 . 7 . length : 3 . 5 - 5 . 0 mm . ( collingwood 1979 )

bologna and detrain ( 2015 ) examined foraging behavior in a laboratory experiment with m . rubra obtained from locations in belgium . they found that the ants became satiated and showed a large decline over time in retrieval of elaiosome bearing seeds of viola odorata . seeds were offered once a week for 5 consecutive weeks and again at week 12 . a similar experiment with dead fruit flies showed a consistent foraging response where the ants collected most of the offered fruit flies .

laevinodis . myrmica laevinodis nylander , 1846a : 927 , pl . 18 , figs . 5 , 31 ( w . q . m . ) finland . subspecies of rubra : forel , 1874 : 76 ; emery & forel , 1879 : 460 ; wheeler , w . m . 1906d : 315 ; emery , 1914d : 156 ; forel , 1915d : 28 ; menozzi , 1918 : 82 ; karavaiev , 1927c : 259 ; creighton , 1950a : 104 . status as species : saunders , e . 1880 : 215 ; andré , 1883a : 316 ; dalla torre , 1893 : 110 ; ruzsky , 1905b : 662 ; bondroit , 1912 : 351 ; donisthorpe , 1915d : 110 ; bondroit , 1918 : 104 ; müller , 1923 : 40 ; finzi , 1926 : 83 ; stitz , 1939 : 78 ; holgersen , 1940 : 184 ; novak & sadil , 1941 : 76 ; weber , 1947 : 441 ; bernard , 1967 : 119 ; baroni urbani , 1971c : 22 ; kutter , 1977c : 65 . senior synonym of longiscapus : mayr , 1863 : 433 ; of champlaini : smith , m . r . 1951a : 789 ; of bruesi : creighton , 1950a : 104 . junior synonym of rubra : yarrow , 1955b : 114 ; arnol ' di , 1970b : 1839 ; arnol ' di & dlussky , 1978 : 530 ; collingwood , 1979 : 52 ; seifert , 1988b : 5 ; radchenko , 2007 : 30 .

agosti , d . , and n . f . johnson . editors . 2005 . antbase . hymenoptera name server results for the species myrmica rubra ( linnaeus ) : world wide web electronic publication . antbase . org , version ( 05 / 2005 ) . summary : antbase is a collaborative effort between scientists from around the world , aiming at providing the best possible access to the wealth of information on ants , to fulfill the conservation needs of the international union for the study of social insects ( iussi ) , and the species survival commission of the world conservation union ( iucn ) . antbase , together with the hymenoptera on - line database , is the data provider for ants to the integrated taxonomic information system , itis . antbase is being built and maintained at the american museum of natural history ( donat agosti ) and the ohio state university ( norman f . johnson ) . antbase is available from : urltoken this page is available from : urltoken [ accessed 26 september 2006 ]

m . rubra colonies do not need a long season of high temperatures to complete their life cycles , in most habitats the ants do not become active until the end of april and are entering a pre - hibernation state by late september ( elmes 1982 ) . they have an active basal physiology ( compared to many other myrmica species ) that has adapted to local environments in different parts of its range . habitat selection seems to be determined by a trade - off between sufficient insolation to complete their life cycle and maintaining a high humidity within the soil nest ( assuming other factors such as food availability and nest site suitability being equal ) . thus at sea level in the more oceanic climates of western europe , woodlands are too cold in summer while east - facing meadows get too hot and dry whereas in the much more continental climates of eastern europe , the hot summers enable them to live in woodlands which dessicate less rapidly than open meadows . mountains of course , make their own local climates so that for example , in the carpathians populations favour more open meadow habitats at higher altitudes that are ecologically very similar to the prime habitat in western europe .

diez et al . ( 2015 ) , a study examining pathogens and colony hygiene - abstract : ants have developed prophylactic and hygienic behaviours in order to limit risks of pathogenic outbreaks inside their nest , which are often called social immunity . here , we test whether ants can adapt the “social immune response” to the level of pathogenic risk in the colony . we challenged myrmica rubra colonies with dead nestmates that had either died from being frozen or from infection by the fungus metarhizium anisopliae . ant survival was compromised by the presence of the fungus - bearing corpses : workers died faster with a significantly lower survival from the 4th day compared to workers challenged with freeze - killed corpses . when faced with fungus - bearing corpses , workers responded quickly by increasing hygienic behaviours : they spent more time cleaning the nest , moving the corpses , and self - grooming . ants in fungus - threatened colonies also decreased contact rates with other workers , and moved corpses further in the corners of the nest than in colonies in contact with non - infected corpses . these results show that ant colonies are able to assess the risk level associated with the presence of corpses in the nest , and adjust their investment in terms of hygienic behaviour .

m . rubra is a eurytopic species distributed widely throughout europe and west siberia where it can dominate some habitats . it thrives in damp habitats , especially soils with high water tables or habitats in areas of high rainfall . however , it is seldom found living in tussocks on true bogs , in the manner of some populations of m . scabrinodis and m . ruginodis . in western europe it is considered to be a species of damp meadows and is rarely found in woods and forests , the largest populations usually occur on west - facing slopes with heavy clayey ( often limestone ) soils , where it builds nests in the soil and under flat stones . these sites often have high rainfall and the moisture is held in the heavy soils . in eastern europe ( russia , ukraine etc . ) it is considered to be more of a forest species inhabiting many different kinds of forests ( except those with light , dry soils ) , where it builds nests in the soil under moss and in or under rotten wood . in central europe m . rubra is often very abundant in grass on forest , woodland and hedgerow edges , and in germany , poland and france etc . it is particularly abundant in the longer vegetation at the edges of water meadows used for haymaking and grazing . throughout its entire range it is associated with meadows bordering rivers and lakes . in recent years it has become important in nature conservation as the primary ant host of the endangered butterfly species phengaris nausithous ( bergstrasser ) ( see papers in settele et a ! . 2005 ) .

winged sexuals ( gynes and males ) are produced in june and “mature” inside the nest until july . the ontogeny of larval development and caste determination has been extensively studied by m . v . brian using m . rubra as a model species and has been found to be very complex ; for example , the hormonal state of the queen influences larval hormone production and ontogeny ( brian 1959 , 1974 ) , trophic conditions are involved ( brian and abbott 1977 ) as are the age and numbers of workers ( brian and jones 1980 ) , seasonality has an effect ( pearson and raybould 1997 ) and even gut parasite load might have some impact ( pearson and raybould 1998 ) . a model based on these interactions show that gyne production might be periodic ( brian et al . 1981 ) and this may account for the observation that the mean size of workers and queens in nests is positively correlated with worker number and negatively correlated with queen number ( elmes 1974b ) .

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since 2001 , entomologists at the university of maine have conducted periodic surveys to determine the movement of and the area colonized by the ant . in maine , the ant is restricted to humid places along the coast . however , colonies have been reported at inland locations and there is a concern that the ant is capable of establishing in these new areas .

in europe , nuptial flights occur during mid - august to mid - september depending on the latitude . queens overwinter before laying eggs for the first time . some queens overwinter alone , others as groups of newly mated queens , and some join an existing colony . in the following spring , queens search for food to begin reproduction . queens that are part of a group have an advantage in foraging for food , and these queens will usually experience higher survival than solitary queens .

in the united states , the situation is different . no nuptial flights have been reported , and new infestations appear to be caused by human - aided dispersal , particularly with the movement of infested soil , mulch , and potted plants . colonies that are already established spread to adjacent areas via budding . this occurs when one or more queens and a group of workers , frequently with brood , move from an existing colony to a new nest site to form a satellite colony . maine populations overwinter with slow brood ( third instars ) , but it is not certain whether colonies produce rapid as well as slow brood .

chemical control . if chemical control is necessary , the label of an insecticide labeled for ants should be followed precisely . currently , the most effective materials to use are the food bait - based insecticides . unfortunately , none of the insecticides screened by the entomology program at the university of maine have successfully eliminated these ant populations . low concentrations ( less than 1 % ) of boric acid mixed with a sugar attractant have been successful in the laboratory ; however , results in the field have been inconsistent . other control tactics are currently under evaluation .

for more information about the management of european fire ants , or any other pestiferous ants in gardens , yards , landscapes , or parks , please contact the local cooperative extension service office .

this featured creature publication is a cooperative effort between entomologists at the university of maine and the university of florida ( uf ) . the senior author received his ph . d . at uf in fall 2006 . the research he and his colleagues are doing on this species of ant is important as its potential range includes florida .

the authors thank dr . frank drummond from the university of maine for his constructive comments to an earlier version of this manuscript , and to the university of maine ' s ant team for their collaboration with the project .

bolton b , alpert g , ward ps , naskrecki p . 2006 . bolton ' s catalogue of ants of the world : 1758 - 2005 . harvard university press , cambridge , ma .

czechowski w , radchenko a , czechowska w . 2000 . the ants ( hymenoptera , formicidae ) of poland . warszawa , poland . 200 p .

mouquet n , belrose v , thomas ja , elmes gw , clarke rt , hochberg me . 2005 . conserving community modules : a case study of the endangered lycaenid butterfly maculinea alcon . ecology 86 : 3160 - 3173

photographs : e . groden , f drummond and h . a . arevalo , university of maine

, the common black garden ant , it certainly is known by our gardeners and household owners due to its tendency to enter houses . it tends to nest under pavements , in soil , along the edges of lawns , in fact almost anywhere . it is a very quick , robust and prolific ant , using formic acid and its jaws as a means of attack / defence . its colonies can grow up to a size of 15 , 000 workers , though about 4000 to 7000 is perhaps the average . they eat insects , nectar , and even the bodies of their own dead , or ants from other colonies . they are also very fond of sugary substances but eats a variety of insects including flies , beetles , the larvae of various flies and beetles , fruit and honeydew .

they are perhaps one of the easiest ants to keep in captivity due to the fact that they are harmless and possess no sting . they are a very interesting and active ant .

, the yellow meadow ant . these ants build small mounds in our lawns and are often mistaken for red ants due to their yellow -

it is the most skilled nest builder found in the uk and can also be found in fields and meadows where they build much larger mounds .