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Formica ravida
Northern Sierra Nevada, California, USA

photograph © Alex Wild 2004

Formica ravida is a nest-founding social parasite on other species of Formica.  This queen has just completed her mating flight and is off in search of a suitable host colony to inflitrate.

 
USA, CA, Nevada Co.: Sagehen Creek Field Station.
27.vi.2004, 39º26'N 120º14'W, 1920m
Jeffrey Pine forest.
#AW2379, voucher specimen deposited at ALWC.

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and cannot be used without permission. To obtain permission to use this image, please email Alex Wild. (alwild (at) myrmecos.net).  Most of the photographs on myrmecos.net are reduced from their original size and compressed for more efficient web transmission.  In some cases, higher quality versions are available.

This image was captured with a Canon EOS D60, with a Canon 65/2.8 MPE 1-5x Macro lens.