Formica lemani Bondroit

Collingwood, C. A., 1979, The Formicidae (Hymenoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark., Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica 8, pp. 1-174 : 123-124

45. Formica lemani Bondroit , 1917 Figs. 166,182,183.

Formica lemani Bondroit , 1917: 186; Yarrow, 1954: 230 (redescription).

Worker. Greyish to brownish black, legs paler. Short stout hairs present on promesonotum normally numerous but occasionally abraded or few. Underside of mid and hind femora normally with one or more hairs at mid length. Frons coarsely sculptured to that punctures readily seen under ordinary magnification. Length: 4.5-7.0 mm.

Queen. Colour, sculpture and pilosity as worker but scutellum shining and pronotal hairs numerous, extending round side margins to tegulae. Long hairs on underside of mid femora always present. Length: 7.0-9.5 mm.

Male. Black with appendages yellowish or brownish. Scale with conspicuous long hairs overreaching dorsal crest, most numerous at angulate side corners. Gaster with short adpressed pubescence. Length: 8.0-9.0 mm.

Distribution. Throughout Fennoscandia except extreme southern areas of Finland and Sweden, not recorded from Denmark. - Abundant in British Isles except for Southeast. - Range: mountains of Spain to Japan including Himalayas, Appenines to arctic Fennoscandia.

Biology. This is an abundant upland species in Europe not distinguished from F. fusca until Bondroit (1917) and first clearly described by Yarrow (1954). It has similar habits to F. fusca but sometimes occurs in large multi-queened colonies in favourable sites such as stony banks. Colony founding is either by single queens or by nest fission. Alatae fly in July and August.