Erratic Ant

Mostly dry open habitats

Throughout SLO

Extant: 1 valid subspecies

Formica erratica Latreille, 1798 PDF: 44 (w.q.m.) FRANCE. Palearctic. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Wheeler & Wheeler, 1951 PDF: 197 (l.).Combination in Tapinoma: Mayr, 1855 PDF: 373; Smith, 1855a PDF: 111.Status as species: Latreille, 1802a PDF: 182; Schenck, 1852 PDF: 67; Smith, 1855a PDF: 111; Mayr, 1855 PDF: 373 (redescription); Nylander, 1856b PDF: 71; Gredler, 1858 PDF: 16; Smith, 1858a PDF: 55; Mayr, 1861 PDF: 41 (in key); Smith, 1861a PDF: 34; Roger, 1863b PDF: 13; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 455; Mayr, 1865 PDF: 62; Smith, 1871c: 2; Dours, 1873 PDF: 166; Forel, 1874 PDF: 60 (in key); André, 1874b (in key); Mayr, 1877a: 11; Emery, 1878a PDF: ix (in list); Emery, 1878: 49; Emery & Forel, 1879 PDF: 454; Mayr, 1880 PDF: 30; Saunders, 1880 PDF: 210; André, 1881c PDF: 63; André, 1882c PDF: 222 (in key); White, 1884 PDF: 256; Forel, 1886e PDF: clxvii; Forel, 1889 PDF: 256; Nasonov, 1889: 26; Forel, 1890b PDF: lxviii; Saunders, 1890 PDF: 203; Emery, 1891c: 15; Forel, 1892j PDF: 308; Lameere, 1892: 65; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 164; Medina, 1893 PDF: 105; Forel, 1894d PDF: 13; Forel, 1895e PDF: 227; Saunders, 1896 PDF: 27; Ruzsky, 1902d PDF: 19; Ruzsky, 1903b PDF: 308; Ruzsky, 1905b: 473; Forel, 1906c PDF: 189; Wasmann, 1906 PDF: 115 (in key); Forel, 1907h PDF: 15; Forel, 1909c PDF: 104; Forel, 1910a PDF: 13; Bondroit, 1910 PDF: 489; Karavaiev, 1911a PDF: 46; Karavaiev, 1911b PDF: 9; Forel, 1911f PDF: 350; Karavaiev, 1912a PDF: 15; Krausse, 1912c PDF: 165; Emery, 1913a PDF: 40; Stitz, 1914 PDF: 78; Forel, 1915d: 43 (in key); Donisthorpe, 1915f: 179; Emery, 1916a PDF: 215; Karavaiev, 1916a PDF: 498; Wheeler & Mann, 1916 PDF: 172; Escherich, 1917: 329; Bondroit, 1918 PDF: 89; Santschi, 1919e PDF: 246; Menozzi, 1921 PDF: 32; Santschi, 1921a PDF: 114; Soudek, 1922b PDF: 59; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1923b PDF: 250; Müller, 1923b PDF: 111; Finzi, 1923a PDF: 4; Lomnicki, 1925b PDF: 2; Emery, 1925b PDF: 53 (redescription); Stärcke, 1926a PDF: 117 (in key); Wheeler, 1926a PDF: 4; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927d PDF: 34; Donisthorpe, 1927c: 200; Lomnicki, 1928 PDF: 6; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929b PDF: 42; Finzi, 1930d PDF: 315; Karavaiev, 1930b PDF: 147; Cori & Finzi, 1931 PDF: 240; Soudek, 1931 PDF: 11; Gösswald, 1932 PDF: 65; Santschi, 1932e PDF: 71; Arnol'di, 1933a: 601 (in key); Grandi, 1935 PDF: 102; Zimmermann, 1935 PDF: 43; Karavaiev, 1936: 169; Novák & Sadil, 1941 PDF: 96 (in key); Holgersen, 1943c PDF: 166 (in key); Kratochvíl, in Kratochvíl et al., 1944 PDF: 79 (in key); Van Boven, 1947b PDF: 180 (in key); Arnol'di, 1948a PDF: 212 (in list); Donisthorpe, 1950e PDF: 1062; Consani & Zangheri, 1952 PDF: 42; Ceballos, 1956: 309; Bernard, 1956b PDF: 259; Baroni Urbani, 1964a PDF: 6; Baroni Urbani, 1964b PDF: 55; Baroni Urbani, 1964c PDF: 159; Bernard, 1967a PDF: 257 (redescription); Baroni Urbani, 1968e PDF: 475; Kutter, 1968b: 60; Collingwood & Yarrow, 1969 PDF: 76; Baroni Urbani, 1971c PDF: 159; Collingwood, 1971 PDF: 163; Baroni Urbani, 1974a PDF: 236; Bolton & Collingwood, 1975: 7 (in key); Pisarski, 1975: 28; Tarbinsky, 1976 PDF: 123 (redescription); Aktaç, 1977 PDF: 124; Van Boven, 1977 PDF: 125; Kutter, 1977c: 181; Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 547 (in key); Collingwood, 1978 PDF: 87 (in key); Collingwood, 1979 PDF: 35; Barquín, 1981: 357; Schembri & Collingwood, 1981 PDF: 421; Seifert, 1984a PDF: 151; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a PDF: 57; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987b PDF: 279 (in key); Kugler, 1988: 258; Dlussky et al., 1990 PDF: 169; Le Moli & Rosi, 1991: 34; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 192; Hohmann et al., 1993: 159; Shattuck, 1994 PDF: 143; Arakelian, 1994 PDF: 73; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Poldi et al., 1995: 6; Espadaler, 1997g PDF: 27; Collingwood & Prince, 1998: 20 (in key); Gallé et al., 1998: 216; Czechowski et al., 2002 PDF: 14; Markó & Csosz, 2002 PDF: 117; Karaman & Karaman, 2003 PDF: 46; Karaman & Karaman, 2005 PDF: 56; Bračko, 2006 PDF: 144; Markó et al., 2006 PDF: 66; Petrov, 2006 PDF: 103 (in key); Schultz et al., 2006 PDF: 203; Bračko, 2007 PDF: 19; Radchenko, 2007 PDF: 38; Seifert, 2007: 256; Werner & Wiezik, 2007 PDF: 142; Gratiashvili & Barjadze, 2008 PDF: 130; Paknia et al., 2008 PDF: 155; Casevitz-Weulersse & Galkowski, 2009 PDF: 478; Lapeva-Gjonova et al., 2010 PDF: 32; Boer, 2010: 16; Csosz et al., 2011 PDF: 58; Karaman, 2011b PDF: 64; Legakis, 2011 PDF: 23; Borowiec & Salata, 2012 PDF: 537; Czechowski et al., 2012: 66; Kiran & Karaman, 2012 PDF: 4; Seifert, 2012a PDF: 144; Berville et al., 2013 PDF: 78; Borowiec, 2014 PDF: 167 (see note in bibliography); Bračko et al., 2014 PDF: 17; Lebas et al., 2016: 116; Radchenko, 2016: 88; Salata & Borowiec, 2018c 10.5281/zenodo.2199191 PDF: 48; Seifert, 2018: 242; Khalili-Moghadam et al., 2019 10.2478/pjen-2019-0013 PDF: 165.Senior synonym of Tapinoma erraticum atomum: Roger, 1863b PDF: 13; Mayr, 1865 PDF: 62; Forel, 1874 PDF: 99 (in list); Emery & Forel, 1879 PDF: 454; Emery, 1925b PDF: 53; Shattuck, 1994 PDF: 143.Senior synonym of Tapinoma erraticum bononiensis: Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 192; Radchenko, 2016: 88.Senior synonym of Tapinoma breve: Dlussky et al., 1990 PDF: 169; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Schultz et al., 2006 PDF: 203; Radchenko, 2016: 88.Senior synonym of Tapinoma caerulescens: Mayr, 1863a PDF: 455; Mayr, 1865 PDF: 62; Forel, 1874 PDF: 99 (in list); Emery & Forel, 1879 PDF: 454; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 164; Emery, 1913a PDF: 40; Donisthorpe, 1915f: 179; Donisthorpe, 1927c: 200; Shattuck, 1994 PDF: 143; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Radchenko, 2016: 88.Senior synonym of Tapinoma collina: Schenck, 1852 PDF: 67; Smith, 1855a PDF: 111; Mayr, 1855 PDF: 373; Nylander, 1856b PDF: 71; Smith, 1858a PDF: 55; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 455; Roger, 1863b PDF: 13; Mayr, 1865 PDF: 62; André, 1874c: 202 (in list); Forel, 1874 PDF: 99 (in list); Emery & Forel, 1879 PDF: 454; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 164; Ruzsky, 1905b: 473; Emery, 1913a PDF: 40; Forel, 1915d: 43 (in key); Donisthorpe, 1915f: 179; Emery, 1925b PDF: 53; Donisthorpe, 1927c: 200; Pisarski, 1975: 28; Tarbinsky, 1976 PDF: 123; Shattuck, 1994 PDF: 143; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Czechowski et al., 2002 PDF: 14; Czechowski et al., 2012: 66; Radchenko, 2016: 88.Senior synonym of Tapinoma glabrella: Smith, 1855a PDF: 111; Mayr, 1855 PDF: 373; Nylander, 1856b PDF: 71; Smith, 1858a PDF: 55; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 455; Roger, 1863b PDF: 13; Mayr, 1865 PDF: 62; Dours, 1873 PDF: 166; André, 1874c: 202 (in list); Forel, 1874 PDF: 99 (in list); Emery & Forel, 1879 PDF: 454; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 164; Ruzsky, 1905b: 473; Emery, 1913a PDF: 40; Forel, 1915d: 43 (in key); Donisthorpe, 1915f: 179; Donisthorpe, 1927c: 200; Tarbinsky, 1976 PDF: 123; Shattuck, 1994 PDF: 143; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Radchenko, 2007 PDF: 38; Radchenko, 2016: 88.Senior synonym of Tapinoma tauridis: Dlussky et al., 1990 PDF: 169; Arakelian, 1994 PDF: 73; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Gratiashvili & Barjadze, 2008 PDF: 130; Radchenko, 2016: 88.Senior synonym of Tapinoma tauridis transcaucasica: Dlussky et al., 1990 PDF: 169; Arakelian, 1994 PDF: 73; Bolton, 1995b: 400; Gratiashvili & Barjadze, 2008 PDF: 130; Radchenko, 2016: 88.

Records

(Map 44): Bulgaria [ Emery 1914 (as Tapinoma erraticum nigerrimum ), Agosti and Collingwood 1987a , Atanassov and Dlusskij 1992 ]; Western Predbalkan: Rachene river valley ( Vassilev 1984 ); Western Stara Planina Mts: Chepan Mt. (Dragoman) ( Borisova et al. 2005 ); Central Stara Planina Mts: Vezhen hut ( Atanassov 1936 ); Eastern Stara Planina Mts: Sliven ( Forel 1892 ); Sofia Basin: Sofia ( Lapeva-Gjonova and Atanasova 2004 , Antonova 2005 , Antonova and Penev 2006 , 2008 ), surroundings of Sofia near Vladaya village ( Antonova and Penev 2006 , 2008 ); Vitosha Mt. ( Atanassov 1952 ); Plana Mt.: Plana vill., Tsiganka peak (Pasarel vill.), Vrabnitsa loc. (Dolni okol vill.), Turmachka mahala (Plana vill.), Krasta peak (Dolni okol vill.), Pasarel vill., Alino vill. ( Vagalinski and Lapeva-Gjonova in press ); Lozenska Planina Mt. ( Vassilev and Evtimov 1973 ); Strandzha Mt. ( Antonova et al. in press ); Dupnitsa Basin: Dupnitsa ( Forel 1892 ); Belasitsa Mt. ( Atanassov 1964 ); Krupnik-Sandanski-Petrich Valley: along Strumeshnitsa river, Kozhuh Mt. [ Atanassov 1964 and Hubenov et al. 1998 (as Tapinoma erraticum nigerrimum )]; Rila Mt.: Rilska river valley ( Forel 1892 ); Pirin Mt., Rhodopi Mts ( Seifert 1984 ); Western Rhodopi Mts: Chepelare, Rakitovo, Batak, Velingrad, Peshtera ( Lapeva-Gjonova in press (a) ), Radilovo vill. ( Atanassov 1936 ); Eastern Rhodopi Mts: Byal Izvor vill. (Arda), Beli Plast vill. (Kardzhali), Momchilgrad, Madzharovo municipality, between Odrintsi and Svirachi vill. (Ivaylovgrad), Senoklas vill. (Madzharovo) ( Lapeva-Gjonova 2004a ); Black Sea coast ( Seifert 1984 ); Northern Black Sea coast: Evksinograd palace ( Atanassov 1936 ); Southern Black Sea coast: Pomorie, Sozopol ( Forel 1892 ).

Ghardimaou, Duvivier.

Crimee, Aluschta, 4 [[ worker ]], 13 - 15. V. 1900 (N. Kuznecov!).

- [[ worker ]], [[ queen ]]. - Jerusalem (Schmitz).

The erratic ant (Tapinoma erraticum) is a species of dolichoderine ant first described in 1789 by Latreille.

This species ranges throughout Central Europe from the mountains of south Italy to north Germany. It is present in coastal areas of Southern England and on the islands of Gotland and Öland in Sweden.

A thermophilic species, T. erraticum is found principally on dry heathland, exposed to the sun. The workers are very agile, and are usually only seen when the sun is shining, and the species can easily be distinguished from superficially similar species (e.g. Lasius niger) by its tendency to hold its gaster almost vertically when moving. Horace Donisthorpe commented: "When the sun is obscured these ants immediately disappear, and on cold and cloudy days very few specimens are to be found away from the nest."

Colonies are usually small, although larger colonies occasionally occur. Donisthorpe records having found a particularly large colony in Weybridge on July 29, 1913, in which "the deälated females and workers in this nest being the largest I have ever seen".

Colonies are polygynous and have been recorded to contain up to 40 deälated females. Nests are shallow and small solaria often feature in nest structure to concentrate solar heat onto the ants' brood.

Nuptial flights take place in June, although they may be postponed during colder years to July.