Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761
(Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant)

Interactions where Formica rufa is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
queen (newly mated) queen (newly mated) parasitises nest Minor Formica fusca Negro Ant, Dusky Ant Hymenoptera: Formicidae Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Bolton, B. & Collingwood, C.A., 1975
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antqueen (newly mated) Animal / parasite /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica fusca/Formica fuscanegro ant, dusky antnestMinor
adult adult feeds on honeydew Betulaphis quadrituberculata an aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Betulaphis quadrituberculata/Betulaphis quadrituberculataan aphid
adult adult feeds on honeydew Periphyllus testudinaceus a hairy aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Periphyllus testudinaceus/Periphyllus testudinaceusa hairy aphid
adult adult feeds on honeydew Glyphina betulae an aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Glyphina betulae/Glyphina betulaean aphid
adult adult feeds on honeydew Cinara piceae an aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Cinara (Cinara) piceae/Cinara (Cinara) piceaean aphid
adult adult feeds on honeydew Cinara pinea an aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Cinara (Cinara) pinea/Cinara (Cinara) pineaan aphid
adult adult feeds on honeydew Lachnus roboris an aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Lachnus roboris/Lachnus roborisan aphid
adult adult feeds on honeydew Symydobius oblongus an aphid Hemiptera: Aphididae Forests and Wood Ants in Scotland, Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antadult Animal / honeydew feeder /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Aphididae/Symydobius oblongus/Symydobius oblongusan aphid

Interactions where Formica rufa is the victim or passive partner (and generally loses out from the process)

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Filters:

Affected Part Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season Summary
pupa is predated by larva Microdon analis an ant hoverfly Diptera: Syrphidae Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Britain and Europe, Rotheray, G.E., 1993
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Diptera/Syrphidae/Microdon analis/Microdon analisan ant hoverflylarva Animal / predator /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antpupa larva is predator of pupa
is endoparasitised by larva Questionable Corrigia vitta a fluke Plagiorchiida: Dicrocoeliidae The Natural History of Slapton Ley Nature Reserve: VI Studies on Parasites, Canning, E.U., Cox, F.E.G., Croll, N.A. & Lyons, K.M., 1973
/Animalia/Platyhelminthes/Trematoda/Plagiorchiida/Dicrocoeliidae/Corrigia vitta/Corrigia vittaa flukelarva Animal / parasite / endoparasite /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood ant? larva endoparasitises
nest nest has guest larva Major Clytra quadripunctata a leaf beetle Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae Atlas of the Seed and Leaf Beetles of Britain and Ireland, Cox, M.L., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Coleoptera/Chrysomelidae/Clytra quadripunctata/Clytra quadripunctataa leaf beetlelarva Animal / guest /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antnestMajor larva is a guest in nest
nest nest has guest UK/Ireland Formicoxenus nitidulus Shining Guest Ant Hymenoptera: Formicidae Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Bolton, B. & Collingwood, C.A., 1975
Forage, prey and host-parasite relationships of aculeates, Macdonald, M.A., 2007
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formicoxenus nitidulus/Formicoxenus nitidulusshining guest ant Animal / guestUK and/or Eire /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antnest is a guest in nest
nest nest has guest Xylocoris formicetorum a flower bug Hemiptera: Anthocoridae Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles, Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Anthocoridae/Xylocoris (Xylocoris) formicetorum/Xylocoris (Xylocoris) formicetoruma flower bug Animal / guest /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antnest is a guest in nest
nest nest has guest nymph Alydus calcaratus an ant bug Hemiptera: Alydidae Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles, Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Alydidae/Alydus calcaratus/Alydus calcaratusan ant bugnymph Animal / guest /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antnest nymph is a guest in nest
nest nest has guest adult Notochilus limbatus a ground bug Hemiptera: Lygaeidae Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles, Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Lygaeidae/Notochilus limbatus/Notochilus limbatusa ground bugadult Animal / guest /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antnest adult is a guest in nest
nest nest has guest nymph Notochilus limbatus a ground bug Hemiptera: Lygaeidae Land and Water Bugs of the British Isles, Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959
/Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hemiptera/Lygaeidae/Notochilus limbatus/Notochilus limbatusa ground bugnymph Animal / guest /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Formicidae/Formica rufa/Formica rufared wood ant, southern wood antnest nymph is a guest in nest

Author & YearTitleSource
Bolton, B. & Collingwood, C.A., 1975Hymenoptera: FormicidaeHandbooks for the Identification of British Insects , Vol VI, Part 3(C), 34pp, The Royal Entomological Society of London
Canning, E.U., Cox, F.E.G., Croll, N.A. & Lyons, K.M., 1973The Natural History of Slapton Ley Nature Reserve: VI Studies on ParasitesField Studies 3: 681-718.
Cox, M.L., 2007Atlas of the Seed and Leaf Beetles of Britain and Ireland336pp, Pisces Publications
Hughes, J. & Broome, A., 2007Forests and Wood Ants in ScotlandForestry Commission Information Notes, 90, 8pp, Forestry Commission
Macdonald, M.A., 2007Forage, prey and host-parasite relationships of aculeates
Rotheray, G.E., 1993Colour Guide to Hoverfly Larvae (Diptera, Syrphidae) in Britain and EuropeDiperists Digest Dipterists Digest No. 9.
Southwood, T.R.E. & Leston, D., 1959Land and Water Bugs of the British IslesWayside & Woodland Series, 1959 edition, 436pp, Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd.

Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant) may also be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesFormica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant)
GenusFormica (a genus of ants)
SubfamilyFORMICINAE (a subfamily of hymenopterans)
FamilyFORMICIDAE (ants)
SuperfamilyVESPOIDEA (wasps)
InfraorderAculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
Seiffert, B. 1991 The phenotypes of the Formica rufa complex in East Germany Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Gorlitz Vol 65(1): 1-27.

Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may be relevant to Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 33 images of Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant, Southern Wood Ant)
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