Stenamma westwoodii Westwood

Collingwood, C. A., 1979, The Formicidae (Hymenoptera) of Fennoscandia and Denmark., Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica 8, pp. 1-174 : 60

14. Stenamma westwoodii Westwood , 1840

Figs. 4,72-75.

Stenamma westwoodii Westwood , 1840:83.

Worker. Pale to dark rusty red; petiole a simple node with rounded dorsal area, propodeal spines short. Head longitudinally striate in front, alitrunk and back of head with weak reticulate sculpture. Body with erect scattered pale hairs, sparse and decumbent on appendages. Length: 3.5-4.0 mm.

Queen. As worker, only slightly larger; wings pale yellowish. Length: 4.2-4.8 mm.

Male. Blackish brown with mandibles and appendages lighter; head longitudinally striate, dull; mandibles with 3 teeth; wings as queen. Propodeal spines well developed. Length: 3.8-4.2 mm. (Kutter, 1974, draws attention to the original description from English material where the male mandible is said to have 5 teeth whereas all recent specimens in the British Isles have 3 toothed mandibles).

Distribution. Found very locally in Denmark: SZ; Sweden: Sk., Bl., Sm., Gtl. and Vg.; Norway: VA and HO. - Also very locally occurring throughout Southern England to the Midlands, Wales and Southern Ireland. - Range: South and Central Europe from Spain to Caucasus and Italy to South Scandinavia.

Biology. This is an unobtrusive species often taken as solitary workers in woodland. Nests consists of up to 150 workers with a single queen. They may be found in dry well drained woodland under deep stones or among tree roots and under moss. Workers forage during early morning or on dull warm days. This species is partly scavenging and partly predatory on small insects and mites but is slow moving and non-aggressive towards other ant species. Alatae are found in the nests from August to late autumn and have been taken on the wing during September and October.