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species
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Formica gagatoides
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Japanese Name
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Takane-kuroyama-ari
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Original Reference
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Ruzsky, M. (1904) O murav'yakh Arkhangel'skoi gubernii. Zapiski po Obshchei Geografii Imperatorskago Russkago Geograficheskago Obshchestva 41: 287-294.
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Synonym
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Formica fusca var. gagatoides Ruzsky 1904a,
F. (Serviformica) gagatoides: Emery, 1925b,
Formica picea var. gagatoides: Emery, 1925b,
Formica gagatoides: Holgersen, 1942,
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Description
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Total length of workers 4 - 5 mm. Body color greyish black or brownish black. Similar to F. japonica, but distinguished to the experienced naked eye by the mesosoma being strongly reddish (versus almost without reddish color in mature F. japonica workers). Gaster more polished than in F. japonica. F. gagatoides is distinguished from F. candida by its first gastral tergite being densely covered with pubescence, and from other species of the genus by its blackish color and relative sparsity of pubescence on its third gastral tergite.
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Remarks
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This species was reported for the first time from Japan by Sonobe & Dlussky (1977) and Kondoh (1976). The records are few, but F. gagatoides is widely distributed at localities 2700 m. or more above sea level in central Honshu (North, South and Central Alps, Yatsugatake Mountains (Sonobe, 1979)). Nuptial flights probably occur after late August.
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Distribution
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Central Honshu; northern Eurasia.
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References
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- O murav'yakh Arkhangel'skoi gubernii. Zapiski po Obshchei Geografii Imperatorskago Russkago Geograficheskago Obshchestva 41: 287-294.
- Emery, C. (1925). Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae. . In M. P. Wytsman, ed., ""Genera Insectorum"", fasc. , 183, 1-302.
- Holgersen, H. 1942. Ants of Northern Norway (Hym., Form.). Troms? Mus. ?arsh. naturhistorisk. Avd., 63: 33.
- Sonobe, R. & G. M. Dlussky (1977). On two ant species of the genus Formica (Hymeoptera, Formicidae) from Japan. . Kontyu, 45, 23-25.
- Kondoh, M. (1976). The ecological distribution of ants at the eastern slope of Mt. Norikura. . In ""The Scientific reports of Nature and Cultures of Norikura"". ed. Nagano Prefecture, 159-175.
- Sonobe, R. (1979). On six alpine ant species. . Insect (Kontyu-Aiko-Kai, Tochigi-ken), 30, 69-73. .
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Editor
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Original text by Rikio Sonobe and Keiichi Onoyama. English translation by Keiichi Onoyama, edited by Robert W. Taylor.
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