Myrmica vandeli Bondroit, 1920
Description and notes
Myrmica vandeli is a rare red ant only recently added to the British list (Elmes et al., 2003). Workers are very similar to M. scabrinodis Nylander and have very similar characteristics. Males have long antennal scapes like those of M. sabuleti Meinert. It is best separated by examining males and workers collected from the same nest. It was first found in Britain in a nest of apparent M. scabrinodis that had males of apparent M. sabuleti.
Distribution
It is known from just a few records from southern England and South Wales.
Found in central Europe also the Pyrenees, southern Finland and the Balkans.
Status (in Britain only)
This species currently has no conservation status since its discovery in Britain post-dates the Red Data Book (Shirt, 1987) and the Review (Falk, 1991). It will need to be considered in future reviews.
Habitat
Warm open boggy areas where it nests in grass tussocks.
Flight period
August to early September.
Foraging behaviour
Nothing is really known for sure about the foraging habits of this rare species. It is likely that it has similar behavior to other Myrmica and has a varied diet of small invertebrates, honeydew and anything edible it can scavenge.
Nesting biology
Nests have a single queen. They occur in grass tussocks and sometimes have a solarium of dry plant material. Mixed nests of M. vandeli and M. scabrinodis have been found.
Year profile last updated
2019