Myrmica rubra

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iMyrmica rubra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Genus: Myrmica Species: M. rubra
Binomial name
Myrmica rubra (Linnaeus, 1758)

Myrmica rubra is a species of European ant. It is mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. The ants are polygynous and live under stones, fallen trees, and sometimes in the soil. Equipped with a stinger, these ants cannot spray ant-acid like the genus Formica.

Mainly originating from central Europe, this species is currently invading Japan and North America, where they are considered a nuisance and an invasive species.

The Swedish populations of the larvae of the butterfly Maculinea alcon (Alcon Blue) use Myrmica rubra as their primary host.

[edit] External links

• Brief report from the University of Maine on the management of Myrmica rubra in the US, with extensive additional references

Nest found under debris in disturbed woods:Cambridge, Massachusetts