Formica lemani (Linnaeus, 1758)
A large black Ant, very similar and almost physically identical to Formica fusca. Formica lemani is probably fairly widespread on Sherwood Forest heathlands, where it nests under, or inside rotten logs and in tree stumps etc, but the lack of confirmed records could mean that F. lemani is not as common in Nottinghamshire as we summise.
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Nottinghamshire (VC56) distribution of Formica lemani
 
Formica lemani workers can be differentiated from Formica fusca, by the presence of short, stubby hairs on the promesonotal dorsum.
 
The records for the Nottinghamshire distribution map are currently provided by the following contributors - Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. Denton, M.L. Green, E.J. Legg, G. Hemingway, D.G. Marsh, R.J. and Sharp, D. (2002 Arachnid survey of Birklands and Bilhaugh candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. Report to English Nature from Entotax consultancy 2003). Andy Godfrey (2006 Sherwood Heath SSSI invertebrate survey). Sherwood Forest Invertebrate Directory 2014. Stuart Warrington. The National Trust (Clumber Park invertebrate records). Trevor and Dilys Pendleton. BAS Survey Team of Richard Gallon, Graeme Lyons and Tylan Berry.

You can contribute your own records to help us gain an accurate status of this species in Nottinghamshire. Send an Excel spreadsheet of your records via the 'contact us' link at the top of the homepage.

Updated November 2022

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