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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 22, 2014 8:31:25 GMT
June is the mating flight month for both of these species, with rufa tending to be a bit earlier around the middle of June and sanguinea from late June into early July. Although according to this site sanguinea don't actually have a mating flight as such, but the newly mated winged queens fly off to find a host nest of a related species such as F. fusca and enter the nest to kill the fusca queen(s) and make the colony her "slaves" using pheromones to make the host workers believe she is their own queen. Sometimes the stratergy is successful, but it can also end in the sanguinea queen being killed. Read more here} Formica sanguinea.
You should have very little trouble finding Formica rufa, but as for F. sanguinea I don't think they are found in the Midlands and tend to be more south of the M4 in counties such as Hampshire and Surrey; but good luck with your ant hunting as it will be interesting to see what ant species you do actually find in the Wyre Forest.  |
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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 22, 2014 12:17:53 GMT
I have read there are colonies of both there, as well as sightings of manica rubida! I am looking forward to my trip Not sure if Manica rubida have been distributed anywhere in Britain yet, as their location areas are listed here} Manica rubida distribution in Europe. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2014 8:52:15 GMT
Sorry I'm getting confused, Myrmica rubra.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 23, 2014 10:17:52 GMT
Sorry I'm getting confused, Myrmica rubra. Easy mistake to make as the names are very similar.  You should find other Myrmica species too as they often nest in damp ground under stones, tree bark and even sphagnum moss, as I have found several species do so in the forests near me. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2014 15:42:03 GMT
I never get them ever near me! It's impossible to find even the easiest species such as Lasius flavus near me
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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 24, 2014 15:56:35 GMT
Is Wyre Forest the one just past Bewdley in Worcestershire? Jen and I may have visited it once when we lived near Worcester.
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Post by adamjames20 on Mar 24, 2014 16:13:55 GMT
Hey wood , yeah wyre forest is just past Bewdley , About 15 minutes by car from my house  |
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Post by Wood~Ant on Mar 24, 2014 19:34:26 GMT
Hey wood , yeah wyre forest is just past Bewdley , About 15 minutes by car from my house Thanks Adam, we went up there after a trip to Kidderminster as we lived between Malvern and Worcester for 4 years at a place called Powick; and to think all that time I only knew where to find wood ants in Dymock Woods in Gloucestershire and Haugh Wood near Hereford, never knowing that Formica rufa could be found in Worcestershire.  |
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