Lasius

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Lasius
Temporal range: Eocene-Present, 46–0  Ma
Lasius niger casent0178775 profile 1.jpg
Lasius niger, type species.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Lasius
Fabricius, 1804
Diversity [1]
149 species
Synonyms
  • DonisthorpeaMorice & Durrant, 1915
  • TylolasiusZhang, J., 1989

Lasius is a genus of formicine ants. [2] The type species for this genus is the black garden ant, Lasius niger . Other major members, which live in drier heathland, are the cornfield ant, L. neoniger , and L. alienus . Other species include the temporary social parasites of the L. mixtus group and the hyper-social parasite Lasius fuliginosus . Lasius flavus is also a commonly seen species, building grassy hillocks in undisturbed pasture. In the Alps, these mounds – always aligned east to catch the first rays of the rising sun – have been traditionally used by goatherds as natural compasses.[ citation needed ] Species in the subgenus Acanthomyops, in particular L. interjectus and L. claviger , are commonly known as citronella ants due to their citronella-like smell.

Contents

Social parasitism

Several species in this genus are noted to be social parasites. [3] [4] [5] [6] Some species such as Lasius latipes and Lasius murphyi are noted to have their mating flights in mid-late summer and invade other colonies of Lasius , primarily Lasius neoniger . [3] [4] [6] Other species, such as Lasius claviger , are known to overwinter and invade colonies in the spring. [7] [6]

Moisture ants

Many Lasius species, known collectively as "moisture ants" in the United States, make their nests in and around moist rotting wood as well as under rocks. [8] [9] They can infest buildings, particularly foundation forms in contact with soil, becoming a minor nuisance. [10] [8] They are not considered a structural threat because they only make their galleries in wood that is already decayed. [10] Some species build "cartonlike" nests in moist locations made of decayed wood fragments cemented together with honeydew and the ant's mandibular gland secretions. [9] Workers are monomorphic, 2 to 3 mm long, yellow to dark brown. [8] They are secretive, and forage mostly at night for honeydew and other sweet substances, and may also prey on small insects. [8] Winged reproductive males and females swarm in late summer and fall, which is when building infestations may be noticed. [8] They are distinguished from carpenter ants (Camponotus), another structure-infesting species, by being much smaller, and having a notch in the dorsal thorax (top of the center body division), where carpenter ants have a rounded thorax. [10] [8] Widespread moisture ant species include L. alienus and L. neoniger, as well as some Acanthomyops species. [9]

Species

Black garden ant, Lasius niger Lasius-niger-colony.jpg
Black garden ant, Lasius niger
Cornfield ant, Lasius alienus Lasius alienus 01.JPG
Cornfield ant, Lasius alienus
Lasius flavus Lasius flavus 2.JPG
Lasius flavus

References

  1. ↑ Bolton, B. (2021). "Lasius". AntCat. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "Genus: Lasius". AntWeb. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  3. 1 2 "Lasius latipes - AntWiki". www.antwiki.org. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  4. 1 2 "Lasius murphyi - AntWiki". www.antwiki.org. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  5. ↑ "Lasius subglaber - AntWiki". www.antwiki.org. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  6. 1 2 3 "A Guide to Lasius Social Parasites". Stateside Ants. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  7. ↑ "Lasius claviger - AntWiki". www.antwiki.org. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Klotz, John H. (2010). Urban Pest Management of Ants in California. UCANR Publications, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California. pp. 54–55. ISBN   978-1601076649.
  9. 1 2 3 Klotz, John H. (2008). Urban Ants of North America and Europe: Identification, Biology, and Management. Cornell University Press. pp. 39–44. ISBN   978-0801474736.
  10. 1 2 3 Antonelli, Art (2007). "Extension Bulletin 1382: Moisture Ants" (PDF). WSU Extension. Washington State University. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 13, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
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