A synoptic review of the ants of California (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author
Ward, P. S.
text
Zootaxa
2005
936
1
68
journal article
39107
10.5281/zenodo.171144
7b235ee0-db22-4606-8a01-05936f594932
171144
Genus
Formica
Linnaeus
In California the members of this genus are most prevalent in montane habitats, although a few species occur in drier, low elevation sites.
Formica
species are groundnesting ants with generalist foraging habits. Francoeur’s (1973) authoritative revision of the
Formica fusca
group allows the species in that group to be relatively easily identified. Taxonomic difficulties still plague the
Formica rufa
group, which contains most of the remaining species in California.
Species identification: keys in
Francoeur (1973)
,
Wheeler and Wheeler (
1986g
)
,
Snelling and Buren (1985)
and
Mackay and Mackay (2002)
. Additional references:
Agosti (1994b)
,
Agosti and Bolton (1990b)
,
Buren (1968a)
,
Cole (1956d
,
1956f
,
1956g
),
Creighton (1940a
,
1950a
),
Dlussky (1967)
,
Francoeur and Snelling (1979)
,
Gösswald (1989
,
1990
),
Savolainen (1998)
,
Smith (1979)
,
Trager
et al
. (2005)
,
Wilson and Brown (1955)
.