|
Formica gnava Buckley
Figures 267, 270, 273
Formica gnava Buckley 1866:156; o _ _. Francoeur 1973:238-245;
figs. 425-441; o _ _. Allred 1982:465-466. Cokendolpher and Francke
1990:41.
Formica fusca var. gnava: Wheeler 1902e:19.
Formica rufibarbis var. gnava: Wheeler 1913b:518.
Formica rufibarbis subsp. gnava: Creighton 1950:539-541.
RANGE: Central Texas, southern
Colorado, to southeastern California, northeastern Baja California.
DESERT RECORDS. Map 20. Imperial
Co.: Picacho State Rec. Area, 6 May 1978 (RRS & CDG #78-36;
LACM); Imperial Dam, 20 June 1954 (W. A. McDonald; LACM); Winterhaven,
19 July 1962 (W. J. Akins; LACM). Riverside Co.: Mecca, -
189', 4 Apr. 1958 (F. Colley; LACM); "Coachella Valley"
(A. Mallis; LACM); Thousand Palms, 26 Sept. 1993 (G. C. Snelling;
LACM). San Bernardino Co.: Needles [Francoeur, 1973:244].
DISCUSSION. This ant appears
to be a genuine element of our fauna, albeit one limited to a few
favorable areas. It is probablymore common along the Colorado River
than present records indicate. With the exception of the specimens
from Mecca and "Coachella Valley" all are from the vicinity
of the River. The Mecca specimens are two females. They are about
normal for the species except that the frons is more finely and
sharply punctate and the head and mesosoma a little shinier than
usual. These differences suggest that they represent an isolated
population and not an introduction. The workers from Thousand Palms
and "Coachella Valley" seem entirely normal.
Our records for this ant are mostly
from areas of Alkali Sink and Saltbush Scrub; the sample from Thousand
Palms was taken within that community, an area formerly Creosote
Scrub. Nests at Picacho State Recreation Area were in moist salty
soil at the base of a clump of Pluchea sericea; workers were
foraging at midafternoon. Cole (1934) observed colonies to be situated
under large flat rocks in shaded, moist habitats and Creighton (1950)
noted the occurrence of this ant in canyon bottoms.
Males have been taken at lights at
night in July.
Next
|