MISTAKEN IDENTITY
Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859), [Formicidae: Ponerinae], is a small brown ant with a functioning sting, a single substantial petiole (the body section connecting the alitrunk (mid-section) and gaster (the bulbous rear section) in hymenopterous insects) and a constriction between the first and second segments of the gaster. It is an underground species, where it lives and forages on small soil living arthropods. Only the alate gynes (the winged reproductive females of ants) are likely to be seen above ground.
The underground colonies can be polydomous (occupying and maintaining multiple nests) usually containing several queens, a few wingless worker-like males and around 200 workers. Its flight period is from May to September.
There is some dispute as to whether this should be treated as a native species because it is most often come across in greenhouses and other permanently heated buildings, though there is evidence for its presence 1600 years ago in northern Britain. Colonies have occasionally been discovered a long way from human habitation. It has been recorded outdoors from waste spoils warmed by fermentation or decay. It is a cosmopolitan species distributed throughout Europe, the tropics and sub-tropics. Isolated records have come from England, Wales and Ireland. At the time of writing it has not been recorded from Scotland.
Hypoponera schauinslandi (Emery, 1899) has rarely been recorded in Britain. It is a little smaller than punctatissima and can be separated in the gynes by measuring the head-width, head-length and scape length (the basal segment of the antenna). It has a tropical or sub-tropical origin and cannot survive outdoors in Britain. It has an unusual flight period of November to February which can act as a useful guide in its identification. H. schauinslandi was only recognised as present in Britain in 2000.
The alate gyne pictured above came from a small colony discovered living underground in a heated commercial premises in Worthing, West Sussex on 13th January 2012. The original colony, discovered in December 2004, was originally identified as H. punctatissima. My thanks to Mike Fox, Ant Record Coordinator for the Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society (BWARS), for confirming correct identification as H. schauinslandi. On 2nd January 2013, another single winged female was recorded from the same location.
It is possible that this is only the fourth known substantiated record for the UK.
Image copyright OUMNH. Photomicrography by James Hogan, Hope Department of Entomology.
Chiddingfold Forest, 14 March 2012
After a rather cold and overcast morning the sun finally emerged through the clouds at around 1.30pm. This was just the excuse I needed. By 2pm I was walking through Oaken Wood and heading deeper into the Chiddingfold Forest complex. Despite my best efforts, the blue sky and warming sun failed to arouse any butterflies. However, all was not lost, as there is always something to observe and today I was drawn, as often before, to the multitudes of ants going about their business.
Formica rufa is one of four British species of wood ant and is confined to England and Wales. There is some indication that there has been a contraction of its range in recent years especially in northern, central and eastern England and also in areas of Wales. In many parts of its southern range the species is still locally common and even expanding in some regions. The apparent indication of a contraction of the range may be due, in part, to a lack of recording effort in certain areas. There is also a possibility that some historical records for this species in northern and central Britain have arisen through confusion with Formica lugubris, due to an overlap of the two species range in northern England. The large nest mounds of F. rufa will no doubt be familiar to many people. They are composed of numerous tiny fragments of vegetation collected by the worker caste. There may be up to 400,000 individuals in a single nest. Occasionally, several nests may be interconnected, forming one large mega-colony. Where F. rufa is present in any numbers it can have a significant influence on the ecology of its woodland habitat. The ants are major predators and scavengers of woodland insects and feed extensively on aphid honeydew. Their colonies also support a wide range of myrmecophilous arthropods.
It should be pointed out that it can be a risky business getting too close to their nest. Some may even say foolhardy. It is most certainly not an act for the fainthearted as the ants react extremely quickly and aggressively to any intruder in their midst.
They do bite …
I can vouch for that …
