formerly Leptothorax muscorum
Leptothorax canadensis
This record describes Leptothorax canadensis (species). Recorded family: Formicidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Common but inconspicuous. It is essentially boreal and montane in distribution. Ellison et al. recognize 2 unnamed spp. from NewEngland: -AF-can is a large black species with short (less than 0.04 mm) erect hairs on the mesosoma and no subpostpetiolar process. -AF-erg a smaller brown species with long (more than 0.07 mm) erect hairs and a pronounced subpostpetiolar process AntWeb has images of an ant from Halifax, NS as Leptothorax muscorum_complex2 HERE This ant has long erect hairs on the mesosoma and a pronounced subpostpetiolar process. If seems a good match for Leptothorax species AF-erg in Ellison et al. 2012. My specimen has shorter erect hairs on the mesosoma (less than 0.04 mm) and a less-prounced subpostpetiolar process. I believe this rules out AF-erg as a candidate
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Formicoidea
- Family
- Formicidae (Ants)
- Subfamily
- Myrmicinae
- Tribe
- Crematogastrini
- Genus
- Leptothorax
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
At the edge of meadows, or in open woodlands, nesting in dead wood or moss clumps.
Geographic Range
Long thought to be part of the Holarctic species L. muscorum, but recent study has determined the Nearctic population to be a distinct species, L. canadensis. Found in Canada and norhtern tier USA, with southward extensions in the Rockies and Sierra Nevada.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Leptothorax canadensis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of formerly Leptothorax muscorum (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by Tony-2 , Bbarnd , James C. Trager