Formica Rufa Group

The Formica rufa group is a sub-generic group within the genus Formica, first proposed by William Morton Wheeler. This group contains the mound-building species of Formica commonly termed "wood ants" or "thatch-mound ants".

European species include:

• Formica aquilonia Yarrow (1955)
• Formica lugubris Zetterstedt (1838)
• Formica paralugubris Seifert (1996)
• Formica polyctena Förster (1850)
• Formica pratensis Retzius (1783)
• Formica rufa Linnaeus (1761)
• Formica truncorum Fabricius (1804)
• Formica uralensis Ruzsky (1895)
• Formica yessensis Wheeler (1916)

The British members of the Formica rufa group are as follows:

• Formica aquilonia Yarrow (1955)
• Formica lugubris Zetterstedt (1838)
• Formica pratensis Retzius (1783)
• Formica rufa Linnaeus (1761)

This particular breed of ant can inhabit open wood with both hard and soft woods, dense pine forests, and even moor land. These ants are about 10 millimetres long. Nevertheless they can produce formic acid in their abdomens and eject it 12 centimetres in the air. Species previously attributed to the Microgyna group were transferred to the Rufa group by the Wheelers in 1986.

North American members include:

• Formica ciliata Mayr (1886)
• Formica coloradensis Creighton (1940)
• Formica comata Wheeler (1909)
• Formica criniventris Wheeler (1912)
• Formica dakotensis Emery (1893)
• Formica fossaceps Buren (1942)
• Formica integra Nylander (1856)
• Formica integroides Emery (1913)
• Formica laeviceps Creighton (1940)
• Formica microgyna Wheeler (1903)
• Formica mucescens Wheeler (1913)
• Formica obscuripes Forel (1886)
• Formica obscuriventris Mayr (1970)
• Formica oreas Wheeler (1903)
• Formica planipilis Creighton (1940)
• Formica propinqua Creighton (1940)
• Formica ravida Creighton (1940)
• Formica reflexa Buren (1942)
• Formica subnitens Creighton (1940)