Lasiophanes

Lasiophanes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Melophorini
Genus:	Lasiophanes Emery, 1895
Type species
Formica nigriventris, see Lasiophanes atriventris
Diversity
6 species (Species Checklist, Species by Country) Specimen Labels

Evolutionary Relationships

Formicinae Myrmelachistini   (2 genera) Lasiini   (11 genera) Melophorini Melophorus   (92 species) Stigmacros   (39 species) Myrmecorhynchus   (3 species) Lasiophanes   (6 species) Notostigma   (2 species) Notoncus   (6 species) Pseudonotoncus   (2 species) Prolasius   (19 species) Teratomyrmex   (3 species) Formicini   (8 genera) Gesomyrmex, Oecophylla Plagiolepidini   (9 genera) Gigantiops, Myrmoteras, Santschiella Camponotini   (8 genera)

Based on Ward et al. 2016.

Lasiophanes is a small genus of six described species that are endemic of Patagonia(Argentina and Chile) that is related to Lasius of the Northern Hemisphere and Melophorus of Australia and New Zealand.

Identification

See images of species within this genus

 

Distribution

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

	Afrotropical Region	Australasian Region	Indo-Australian Region	Malagasy Region	Nearctic Region	Neotropical Region	Oriental Region	Palaearctic Region
Species	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	0
Total Species	2839	1735	3036	932	834	4378	1708	2836

Biology

Life History Traits

• Mean colony size: ? (Greer et al., 2021)
• Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
• Nest site: hypogaeic; arboreal (Greer et al., 2021)
• Diet class: ? (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter; arboreal (Greer et al., 2021)

Morphology

Worker Morphology

 Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

• Antennal segment count: 12 • Antennal club: gradual • Palp formula: 6,4 • Total dental count: 6-8 • Spur formula: 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes: >100 ommatidia • Scrobes: absent • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: absent • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: present

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

• LASIOPHANES [Formicinae: Lasiini]
  • Lasiophanes Emery, 1895i: 16 [as subgenus of Melophorus]. Type-species: Formica nigriventris (junior primary homonym in Formica; Formica atriventris first available replacement name), by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 165.
  • Lasiophanes subgenus of Melophorus: Emery, 1922a: 90; Emery, 1925b: 12.
  • Lasiophanes raised to genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 695; Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71; retained as genus: Kusnezov, 1952c: 90; Kusnezov, 1956: 31; Kempf, 1972a: 128; Snelling, R.R. & Hunt, 1976: 104.

References

• Fergani, P., Sackmann, P., Cuezzo, F. 2008. Environmental determinants of the distribution and abundance of the ants, Lasiophanes picinus and L. valdiviensis, in Argentina. 16pp. Journal of Insect Science, 8:36, available online: insectscience.org/8.36.
• Agosti, D. 1991. Revision of the oriental ant genus Cladomyrma, with an outline of the higher classification of the Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 16: 293-310 (page 295, Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Formica genus group)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 96, Lasiophanes as genus; in Formicinae, Lasiini)
• Boudinot, B.E., Borowiec, M.L., Prebus, M.M. 2022. Phylogeny, evolution, and classification of the ant genus Lasius, the tribe Lasiini and the subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 47, 113-151 (doi:10.1111/syen.12522).
• Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
• Donisthorpe, H. 1943g. A list of the type-species of the genera and subgenera of the Formicidae. [part]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 11(10): 617-688 (page 655, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1895k. Deuxième note sur les fourmis du Chili. Actes Soc. Sci. Chili 5: 10-18 (page 16, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1922g. Le specie americane del genere Melophorus (Lasiophanes). Rend. Sess. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna Cl. Sci. Fis. (n.s.) 26: 90-95 (page 90, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 12, Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Melophorini; Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Fernandez, F., Guerrero, R.J., Sánchez-Restrepo, A.F. 2021. Sistemática y diversidad de las hormigas neotropicales. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 47, 1–20 (doi:10.25100/socolen.v47i1.11082).
• Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 248, Lasiophanes in Camponotinae, Melophorini; Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Greer, J. A., Moreau, C. S. 2021. Phylogenetic analysis and trait evolution of ant cocoons. Insect Systematics & Evolution 53(1), 60–77 (doi:10.1163/1876312x-bja10008).
• Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 128, Lasiophanes as genus)
• Kusnezov, N. 1952e [1951]. Lasiophanes Emery en la Patagonia. Acta Zool. Lilloana 12: 89-100 (page 90, Lasiophanes as genus)
• Kusnezov, N. 1956a. Claves para la identificación de las hormigas de la fauna argentina. Idia 104- 105: 1-56 (page 31, Lasiophanes as genus)
• Snelling, R. R.; Hunt, J. H. 1975. The ants of Chile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Chil. Entomol. 9: 63-129 (page 104, Key to species; Lasiophanes as genus)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 143, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1911g. A list of the type species of the genera and subgenera of Formicidae. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 21: 157-175 (page 165, Type species: Formica nigriventris (junior primary homonym in Formica: Lasiophanes atriventris first available replacement name), by subsequent designation)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 695, Lasiophanes raised to genus; Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Melophorini)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1935c. Myrmecological notes. Psyche (Camb.) 42: 68-72 (page 70, Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Melophorini; Lasiophanes as genus)