Myrmica hirsuta Elmes
The Formicidae (Hymenoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark.
Collingwood, C. A.
Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica
1979
8
1
174
45CQC
urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:32382
Insecta
Formicidae
Myrmica
Animalia
Myrmica hirsuta Elmes
Hymenoptera
51
Arthropoda
species
hirsuta
Myrmica hirsuta Elmes, 1978:131.
Queen. Similar to a microgyne M. sabuletibut distinguished by the laterally enlarged postpetiole, wider frons and excessive development of body hairs. Head width: 1.05 mm. Body length: 5.2 mm. Mean postpetiole width: 0.675 mm. Male. Similar to M. sabuletiexcept in smaller size and more profuse body hairs. Length: 5.3 mm.
Distribution. Rare, Dorset, South England only.
Biology. This species was discovered by Elmes (1978) in a small group of colonies containing apparently normal M. sabuletiworkers and in some cases normal queens. The small queens were at first assumed to be microgynes of M. sabuletibut body pilosity and relative postpetiole measurements were found to be outside the range of that species. In size and appearance M. hirsutaresembles M. myrmecoxena Forel found once only as a parasite of M. lobicornisin Switzerland and also has affinities with the similar but much larger Myrmica bibikoffi Kutter(1963).