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Species Formica argentea

Formica sp. worker, lateral - Formica argentea - female ant on Asclepias tuberosa - Formica argentea ant on Asclepias tuberosa - Formica argentea Hymenoptera, Formicidae - Formica argentea Loess Hills ants - Formica argentea Loess Hills ants - Formica argentea 2120 Ant ~0.5cm - Formica argentea Formica argentea worker - Formica argentea
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Formicoidea (Ants)
Family Formicidae (Ants)
Subfamily Formicinae
Tribe Formicini
Genus Formica (Wood ants, mound ants, & field ants)
No Taxon (fusca group)
Species argentea (Formica argentea)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
First described in 1902 by William Morton Wheeler as Formica fusca argentata. Fabricius had already named an ant Formica argentata in 1804, so the name couldn't be used. Wheeler came up with a replacement name in 1912: Formica fusca argentea.
Explanation of Names
argentea is Latin for "silvery"
Remarks
Like other species in the Formica fusca group, these are subject to being raided and "enslaved" by the ant Polyergus breviceps