Formica rufibarbis Fabricius 1793
Creators: name: Seifert, B.
name: Schultz, R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Formica
Formica rufibarbis

description: Formica rufibarbis Fabricius, 1793
Formica rufibarbis Fabricius, 1793; France. Formica fusca var. cinereorufibarbis Forel, 1874; Switzerland: Zürich.
Type material examined: F. rufibarbis: Neotype worker labelled "FRA: 44.073° N, 7.295° E, St. Martin Vesu-bie, Cime de la Palu, 2058 m R. Schultz 2002.05.14 - 108 " and " Neotype Formica rufibarbis Fabricius 1793, des. Seifert & Schultz 2009"; SMN Görlitz. In case of destruction or loss of the neotype specimen, a replacement neotype can be designated from a series of 6 mounted workers and 14 workers in ethanol from the same nest sample, having identical sample number, kept in SMN Görlitz and coll. RS.
Justification of the neotype fixation: Formica rufi-barbis has been described from France (" Habitat in Gallia "). There is no specimen from Fabricius available that could be interpreted as a primary type. During a thorough search in the Fabricius collection in ZMU Copenhagen in 2006, a Formica worker labelled " rufibarbis " was found. It is without head, has a damaged mesosoma, carries no locality label but the registration label " Formica rufibarbis 402.26 Kiel " (a permanent loan from the museum in Kiel). This specimen definitely belongs to Formica trun-corum Fabricius, 1804. It cannot be considered as type of F. rufibarbis because its characters clearly disagree with the original description: It has reddish legs including tarsi instead of " pedes nigri " and a reddish brown gaster instead of " Abdomen atrum ". The missing parts of this F. truncorum specimen would also not have a " Caput nigrum ore late rufo ".
F. fusca var. cinereorufibarbis: Two worker types (the specimen with CL = 1663 was labelled as lectotype by B. Seifert in 1999) and 1 gyne paratype, all labelled " F. cinereo-rufibarbis Forel ", " Z. hôpital " and " Type ", MNH Geneve.
Material examined: 74 samples with 232 workers were subject to a numeric analysis of 18 characters (Figs. 18, 19): Austria (1 sample), Bosnia & Herzegovina (3), Bulgaria (1), Finland (4), France (3), Germany (27), Hungary (1), Kazakhstan (20), Lebanon (1), Russia (1), Sweden (4), Switzerland (6), Turkey (2). For details, see Appendix, as digital supplementary material to this article, at the journal's web pages.
Description of worker (Tab. 2, Fig. 3): Large Servi-formica species (mean CS 1.455 mm), head more elongated (CL / CW1.4 1.141), Scape moderately long SL / CS1.4 1.068; distance of lateral ocelli moderate (OceD / CS1.4 0.169), petiole rather wide (PEW / CS1.4 0.471). Clypeus with sharp median keel and fine longitudinal microcari-nulae. Frontal triangle finely transversely rippled and with 35 - 55 short pubescence hairs. Eyes with microsetae of 11 - 15 μ m maximum length. Total mean of unilateral setae numbers on different body parts predicted for a specimen with CS = 1.4 mm: pronotum 11.1, mesonotum 6.5, propodeum plus dorsolateral metapleuron 0.8, petiole scale dorsal of spiracle 3.2, flexor profile of hind tibia 2.8. Posterior margin of head normally without setae. Ventral coxae and gaster tergites with long setae. Dorsal mesonotum in lateral aspect broadly rounded. Metanotal groove relatively deep. Propodeal dome in profile rounded, its basal profile sometimes flat or slightly concave. Dorsal crest of petiole in frontal view convex, sometimes (especially in larger specimens) with straight or weekly excavate median portion, in smaller ants sometimes bluntly angled. Petiole scale in lateral aspect rather thin, with convex anterior and more straight posterior profile. Gaster with transverse mi-croripples of small average distance (RipD 4.4 μ m) and covered by dense silvery pubescence (sqPDG 3.2). Pubescence on head, mesosoma and petiole dense. Posterior vertex, sometimes dorsal promesonotum, coxae and all appendages normally brown or dark brown, gaster always dark brown. Other body parts reddish.
Comments on taxonomy: Formica rufibarbis is safely separable by discriminant analysis from any other species of the group throughout its whole geographic range. Sometimes, less hairy specimens of F. rufibarbis could be confused with more hairy F. clara. Considering the characters CS, CL / CW1.4, SL / CS1.4, OceD / CS1.4, EYE / CS1.4, PEW / CS1.4, GHL / CS1.4, nPN1.4, nMN1.4, nPRME1.4, nPE1.4, and nHFFL1.4, a two-class DA separates 97.8% of 274 nest samples from Eurasia with p> 0.95 and the LOOCV-DA gives an error indication of 0.4%: D (12) F. clara -2.810 ± 0.861 [-6.33, -0.16] n = 200 D (12) F. rufibarbis -2.818 ± 1.297 [0.16, 6.15] n = 74
The type samples of F. rufibarbis and F. fusca var. cinereorufibarbis are allocated to the F. rufibarbis cluster with p = 1.000 and 0.999 and the type samples of F. clara Forel, 1886, F. lusatica Seifert, 1997 and F. rufibarbis sinae Emery, 1925 to the F. clara cluster with p = 1.000, 1.000 and 0.929, respectively. The case of F. rufibarbis sinae is discussed in the F. clara section and the separation of F. rufibarbis from the similarly setose Asian species F. anatolica sp. n. and F. tarimica sp. n. is shown in the section of the latter species.
74 samples with 232 workers were subject to a numeric analysis of 18 characters. Austria: Schwarzach: 14.V.1994 [47.320° N, 13.139° E]. Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sutjeska N.P. (No. 004), 28.V.2003 [43.356° N, 18.692° E]; Sutjeska N.P. (No. 070), 6.VI.2003 [43.351° N, 18.690° E]; Sutjeska N.P. (No. 072), 6.VI.2003 [43.350° N, 18.690° E]. Bulgaria: Dobrostan, 10.IX.1982 [41.905° N, 24.925° E]. Finland: Luumäki, 12.VII.1996 [60.913° N, 27.380° E]; Sandvik (2 samples, No. 33, 35), 10.VII.1996 [60.280° N, 22.210° E]; Stormälo, 10.VII.1996 [60.250° N, 22.150° E]. France: Hospitalet, 19.IX.1998 [42.588° N, 1.794° E]; St. Martin Vesubie (No. 089), 13.V. 2002 [44.086° N, 7.247° E]; St. Martin Vesubie (No. 108, type rufibarbis), 14.V.2002 [44.072° N, 7.295° E]. Germany: Badra, 27.V.1987 [51.430° N, 10.980° E]; Burkheim, 1.V.1993 [48.100° N, 7.600° E]; Dänkritz (4 samples, No. -, 016, 043, 204), 20.VII.1988 / 26.V.1992 / 27.V.1992 [50.770° N, 12.430° E]; Glewitz, 2.V.2000 [54.239° N, 13.321° E]; Grünz, 5.VI.2004 [53.264° N, 14.124° E]; Hauptmannsberg, 22.IV.2000 [53.307° N, 13.443° E]; Heilsberg, 25.VIII.1986 [50.776° N, 11.265° E]; Hellerau, 20.VIII.1992 [51.100° N, 13.730° E]; Isteiner Klotz, 4.V.1993 [47.670° N, 7.530° E]; Langenhessen, 28.V.1992 [50.770° N, 12.370° E]; Menzlin, 8.V.1999 [53.870° N, 13.631° E]; Niederhohndorf (2 samples, No. 081, 212), 26.V.1992 [50.750° N, 12.470° E]; Oberbergen, 2.V.1993 [48.110° N, 7.660° E]; Peenemünde, 5.V.2001 [54.148° N, 13.753° E]; Rohrdorf (No. g13), 9.V.1993 [47.740° N, 10.060° E]; Rohrdorf (No. g30), 8.V.1993 [47.717° N, 10.083° E]; Struck (2 samples, No. 021, 023), 5.VI.1999 [54.170° N, 13.693° E]; Tübingen (2 samples, No. 013, 073), 6.V.1993 [48.510° N, 9.010° E]; Untergrombach, 6.V.1990 [49.080° N, 8.550° E]; Vogtsburg, 3.V.1993 [48.100° N, 7.700° E]; Waren/ Feißnecksee, 27.VII.1988 [53.490° N, 12.710° E]. Hungary: Aggtelek, V.1998 [48.467° N, 20.517° E]. Kazakhstan: Manrak (No. 040), 22.VII.2001 [47.628° N, 84.063° E]; Manrak (No. 045), 22.VII.2001 [47.636° N, 84.064° E]; Manrak, (No. 351), 23.VII.2001 [47.633° N, 84.067° E]; Saur (2 samples, No. 274, 341), 24.VII. 2001 [47.300° N, 85.617° E]; Saur (No. 064), 24.VIII.2001 [47.306° N, 85.545° E]; Saur (No. 068), 24.VII.2001 [47.294° N, 85.618° E]; Saur (No. 058), 24.VII.2001 [47.299° N, 85.412° E]; Saur (No. 273), 24.VII.2001 [47.300° N, 85.467° E]; Saur (No. 309), 23.VII.2001 [47.310° N, 84.460° E]; Saur (No. 318), 24.VII.2001 [47.300° N, 85.417° E]; Saur (No. 331), 25.VII.2001 [47.350° N, 85.517° E]; Tarbagatay (2 samples, No. 83, 316), 1.VIII.2001 [47.783° N, 81.767° E]; Tarba-gatay (No. 153), 31.VII.2001 [47.360° N, 83.527° E]; Tarbagatay (No. 167), 2.VIII.2001 [47.781° N, 81.764° E]; Tar-bagatay (No. 169), 2.VIII.2001 [47.782° N, 81.760° E]; Tarbagatay (No. 183), 4.VIII.2001 [47.075° N, 82.313° E]; Tarbagatay (No.328), 3.VIII.2001 [47.100° N, 82.317° E]. Lebanon: Chtoura, 5.VIII.1933 [33.817° N, 35.850° E]. Russia: Snezhinsk, 5.VII.1998 [55.933° N, 60.983° E]. Sweden: Högsrum, 13.VI.1992 [56.770° N, 16.670° E]; Kastlösa (2 samples, No. 44, 94), 12.VI.1992 [56.460° N, 16.480° E]; Stora Alvaret, 11.X.2000 [56.532° N, 16.525° E]. Switzerland: Biére, 18.V.1994 [43.540° N, 6.320° E]; Eglisau, 21.IV.2004 [47.580° N, 8.520° E]; Pfynwald (3 samples, No. g4, 72, 101), 16.V.1994 [46.300° N, 7.620° E]; Zürich (type cinereorufibarbis), before 1874 [47.37° N, 8.55° E, coordinates estimated]. Turkey: Igdir, 21.VI.1993 [39.850° N, 44.090° E]; Tuzluca, 23.VI.1993 [40.050° N, 43.730° E].
Distribution and biology: Inhabiting the temperate, Ponto-south-Siberian and Submediterranean zones of the West Palaearctic from the Pyrenees to West Siberia (76° E) and the Southwest Siberian Saur Mountains (85° E). In Fennoscandia going to 61° N, both in Sweden (Colling-wood 1979) and Finland, in the Alps and the Caucasus climbing up to 2100 m. In habitat selection intermediate between the moderately thermophilic F. cunicularia and the strongly thermophilic F. clara. Compared to the former more frequent on sandy and open ground with higher soil temperature, lower moisture and less developed herb layer and penetrating deeper into the urban zone. Presence, mean and maximum nest density on 81 potentially suitable, 150- m 2-test-plots on open land in Germany was 44%, 1.0 and 6.0 nests / 100 m 2 respectively. Diet, activity pattern and nest construction similar to F. cunicularia but often with larger nest populations, more aggressive, more readily attacking other ants and more effectively defending against social parasites than F. cunicularia. Cooperative transport of large prey items may occur. Alates occur in Central Europe 14 July ± 15 d [16 June, 3 August], n = 13 (Seifert 2007).
description: Published as part of Seifert, B. & Schultz, R., 2009, A taxonomic revision of the Formica rufibarbis Fabricius, 1793 group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., pp. 255-272 in Myrmecologische Nachrichten 12 on pages 260-261