Formica pratensis RETZIUS, 1783

Seifert, Bernhard, 2021, A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the Formica rufa group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - the famous mound-building red wood ants, Myrmecological News 31, pp. 133-179 : 159

Formica pratensis RETZIUS, 1783

Formica pratensis RETZIUS, 1783 [concept of FOREL (1874), present neotype designation]

Type specimens are unknown and the original description of RETZIUS (1783), reporting only “rufa, capite abdomineque nigris, petiolo abdominis squamifero”, does not allow an identification even of the genus. The tradition which ant has to be named as F. pratensis was founded by FOREL (1874) who reported for the worker a large extension of the dark patch on dorsal mesosoma, a longer pilosity compared with Formica truncoru m, presence of setae on legs and eyes, and, for the gyne, a completely matt, densely pubescent gaster. This character combination excludes any of the other seven species occurring in Switzerland. FOREL (1874) also reported as main habitat grassland and wood margins, which probably prompted him to assign A.J. Retzius’ name to this ant. In order to stabilize the nomenclature, a neotype was fixed from a nest sample con- taining 18 workers, labelled “GER: 51.4048° N, 14.8746° E, Daubitz- 3.3 km ENE, 162 m, flacher HÜgel, R.Schultz 1999.06.30 -050” and “ Neotype Formica pratensis Retzius 1783 des. B. Seifert 2020 ”; depository SMN Görlitz.