The Essex Naturalist
97
Formica cunicularia Latreille
National status Local County status Essex Local
Frequency Ratio 2.2 Tetrad Percentage 5.7%
Recorded 1km sq. percentage 13.2%
Formica cunicularia Latreille
Distribution
A very common and widespread ant especially in the south of the county.
There are recent records from 56 localities but it may turn out to be under-
recorded inland since it can occur in ruderal sites, old quarries and even
gardens.
Barrett (1979) shows a post 1961 record for TL71.
Habitat and Ecology
Collingwood (1979) describes the species nesting under stones or in small earth
mounds, colonising railway embankments, sun exposed borders of woodland, dry
open pasture and sea cliffs. In Essex it is associated with thermophilic conditions
especially in open sparsely vegetated habitats near the coast including south-
facing scarp grasslands, banks, sparsely vegetated sea walls, dunes, landslips, old
sand pits and chalk quarries, waste ground, even sometimes in gardens and along
pavement edges.
Threats
Not threatened.