Is Formica argentea common where anyone else but me lives?

[AntsDakota]

Just wondering, since most people say Formica fusca is the most common Formica species in their area and I like to have people I can relate to.

[antnest8]

are you talking about the Formica Argentina that is pretty much everywhere?

[Batspiderfish]

Formica fusca is the most common misidentification, perhaps. Its real name in North America is Formica subaenescens, and it's usually not what anybody finds. I wouldn't say that Formica argentea is the most common either. I think people are just unfamiliar with fusca-group Formica in general.

[antnest8]

I'm generally not familiar with all of Formica

[AntsDakota]

Formica fusca is the most common misidentification, perhaps. Its real name in North America is Formica subaenescens, and it's usually not what anybody finds. I wouldn't say that Formica argentea is the most common either. I think people are just unfamiliar with fusca-group Formica in general.

I know what Formica fusca looks like, and it is not Ff. I think now that some are argentea and some are F. montana.

[AntsDakota]

are you talking about the Formica Argentina that is pretty much everywhere?

They have red legs and almost transparent gasters.

[antnest8]

i have encounters maybe 4 types of Formica that i can remember. the most common one makes huge but flat nests all in the same general area. another black species has taller mounds that likes to live in more of a forested area. the other Formica species makes nests that have the entrances more spread out and then finally i found a red Formica ant the lives in a more spread out nest too. most likely these four "types" are all different species but just want to see if it matches the descriptions of your formica argentina you have a round you

[Batspiderfish]

Formica are identified by the hair coverage on their mesosoma and gaster, the length of their antennal scapes, as well as the shape of their petiolar scale in the case of social parasites.