Superfamily FORMICOIDEA 1461 



Formica dryas var. gymnomma Wheeler, 1905. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 21: 269. 5. 



Taxonomy: Wheeler, 1913. Harvard Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool., Bui. 53: 392, 448. — Creighton, 

 1940. Amer. Mus. Novitates 1055: 8. 



Biology: Wheeler, 1908. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 24: 623. —Wheeler, 1917. Conn. State 

 Geol. and Nat. Hist. Survey Bui. 22: 595, 597. — Buren, 1941. Iowa State Col, Jour. Sci. 15: 

 115. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1963. Ants of N. Dak, pp. 244-246. —Gregg, 1963. Ants of 

 Colo., pp. 572-574. —Talbot, 1964. Anim. Behaviour 12: 154 (nest structure and 

 flights).— Ayre, 1968. Canad. Ent. 100: 165-172 (prey finding, capture and transport). 

 oreas comptula Wheeler. Sask., N. Dak., Iowa w. to Alta., Wash., Idaho, Utah. Ecology: Nests 

 in wooded areas or grasslands under stones or logs banked with detritus. 

 Formica oreas var. comptula Wheeler, 1913. Harvard Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool, Bui. 53: 

 391, 393, 460. ? , 9 . 



Taxonomy: Cole, 1942. Amer. Midland Nat. 28: 376, 380. 



Biology: Cole, 1934. Psyche 41: 227. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1963. Ants of N. Dak, pp. 

 246-248. 

 oreas oreas Wheeler. Mont., Wyo., Colo., N. Mex., Utah. Ecology: Nests in open woods or 



meadows under rocks or logs covered with detritus. Colonies may be abundant and have 

 sizeable mounds. 

 Formica oreas Wheeler, 1903. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 19: 643. 5, 9,6. 



Taxonomy: Wheeler, 1913. Harvard Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool., Bui. 53: 391, 393, 458^160. 

 —Cole, 1942. Amer. Midland Nat. 28: 376, 379. 



Biology: Wheeler, 1910. Ants, pp. 114, 205, 351, 444. —Gregg, 1963. Ants of Colo., pp. 577-579. 

 prociliata Kennedy and Dennis. Ohio, Wis., Iowa. Ecology: Nests of the type specimens were 

 under stones on ledges in open woods and lacked thatching. 

 Formica prociliata Kennedy and Dennis, 1937. Ent. Soc. Amer., Aim. 30: 531. 5, 9, 6. 



Taxonomy: Buren, 1944. Iowa State Col., Jour. Sci. 18: 300, 303. 

 reflexa Buren. Que., Minn., Iowa, N. Dak Ecology: Has only been found in association with the 

 host; a permanent Lnquiline ?. Host: Formica fusca L. 

 Formica reflexa Buren, 1942. Iowa State Col., Jour. Sci. 16: 399. 5, 9, 6. 



Taxonomy: Buren, 1944. Iowa State Col., Jour. Sci. 18: 299, 303. 



Biology: King, 1949. Iowa Acad. Sci., Proc. 56: 367-379 (mixed colony vdth F. fusca). —King, 

 1951. Iowa Acad. Sci., Proc. 58: 487^489. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1963. Ants of N. Dak, p. 

 249-250. — Francoeur and Beique, 1968. Nat. Canad. 95: 228 (Que.). 

 subnitens Creighton. N. Dak, Wyo., Colo., N. Mex., B. C, Oreg., Calif. Ecology: Usually nests 

 in grasslands, under stones banked with debris or in dome-shaped moimds of thatch or 

 detritus. 

 Formica rufa subnitens Creighton, 1940. Amer. Mus. Novitates 1055: 7, 10. 5 . 



Taxonomy: Cole, 1955. Tenn. Acad. Sci., Jour. 30: 50. —Miller, 1957. Insectes Sociaux 4: 

 253-257 (each caste). 



Biology: Cole, 1954. Tenn. Acad. Sci., Jour. 29: 165. —Ayre, 1957. Insectes Sociaux 4: 173-176 

 (ecological notes). -Ayre, 1958. Insectes Sociaux 5: 1-7. —Ayre, 1958. Insectes Sociaux 5: 

 147-157 (meterological factors affecting foraging). —Ayre, 1959. Insectes Sociaux 6: 

 105-114 (food habits). —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1963. Ants of N. Dak, pp. 250-252. —Gregg. 

 1963. Ants of Colo., pp. 581-584. 



Species Group Microgyna 



Species of this group are believed to be temporary social parasites of other species of For- 

 mica. The female in some way is adopted by workers of the host species. Host workers may 

 remain in the colony after the intruding queen has established her own brood, but the host wor- 

 kers eventually die. Most species are found in open woods or meadows. The nests are usually of 

 the thatch type, but the thatching is normally scattered about the nest openings and appears as 

 a flattened disc. 



