Great Basin Naturalist
Article Title
Abstract
A field study of the thatching ant, Formica obscuripes Forel, at 2560 m elevation in Colorado provided information on mound density, composition, dimensions, and temperatures; worker longevity; and mite parasitization. Density was 115 mounds/ha. Mounds had 1–52 entrances and Peromyscus fecal pellets in the thatch. Mounds conserved heat and exhibited thermal stratification. Excavations of 4 nests revealed depths of 0.3 m to almost 1 m, novel myrmecophiles, and 0–198 wingless queens per nest. Marking experiments demonstrated that some workers overwinter and live more than a year.
Recommended Citation
Conway, John R.
(1996)
"A field study of the nesting ecology of the thatching ant, Formica obscuripes Forel, at high altitude in Colorado,"
Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 56:
No.
4, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol56/iss4/6