Lasius bombycina

Lasius bombycina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Lasiini
Genus:	Lasius
Section:	niger clade
Species group:	alienus
Species complex:	paralienus
Species:	L. bombycina
Binomial name
Lasius bombycina Seifert & Galkowski, 2016

The main habitats are different kinds of xerothermous grassland, but in Turkey this species was also found in an urban garden and in Achaia, Greece, it was observed only in mountain, shadow forests (Borowiec & Salata, 2021). It frequently builds more hidden soil nests but in the steppes of the Neusiedler See region conspicuous soil mounds overgrown by herbs were observed which seems to be a difference to Lasius paralienus. Over the whole range, alates are observed inside the nests or swarming rather late: 9 September ± 26 d [1 August – 21 October] n=7. Oviposition of foundresses usually does not start before the next spring and workers develop until July. Gynes are on average larger than in Lasius alienus and Lasius psammophilus. In a laboratory nest, a founding gyne reared 26 workers without feeding (Andrasfalvy 1961; named by Andrasfalvy "Lasius alienus", recent determination as L. bombycina by geographic indication, swarming time and verbal description). Above-ground foraging was observed on the soil surface, in the herb layer and on bushes. There is trophobiosis with subterranean and epigaean Aphidae and tending of Lycaenidae caterpilars (Plebeijus sephirus, Plebeijus argus). Lasius bombycina is zoophagous on small invertebrates.

Identification

Seifert and Galkowski (2016) - Palaearctic Lasius s. str. species belonging to the Lasius paralienus species complex. The species in this complex are separable from related species by the combination of low clypeal pubescence distance, low setae numbers on scape and differences in length of maxillary palp segments. Lasius alienus, Lasius psammophilus and Lasius piliferus are the most similar species occurring within the geographic range of the three L. paralienus complex species. L. alienus differs from the other five species by having strongly reduced setae numbers on the metapleuron below the level of the propodeal spiracle. A safe separation of individual workers is possible by a discriminant function considering head width, the length of the terminal maxillary palp segment and clypeal pubescence distance.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Europe and Asia Minor Lasius alienus group species
• Key to Palaearctic Lasius s. str.
• Key to Palaearctic Lasius subgenus Lasius s. st.
• Key to Lasius of Crete
• Key to Lasius species of the subgenus Lasius of Greece

Distribution

L. bombycina has a meridional to submeridional Balkanian-Anatolian distribution. The most northwestern point of its range is in E Austria (48.0°N, 16.7°E). In Asia Minor it goes east to 44°E at least and shows here a very wide altitudinal range from sea level to 2350 m (at 40.6°N). Sympatric occurrence with Lasius paralienus is known so far only in the NW Balkans and Bulgaria.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 48.621° to 35.05°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Türkiye (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Habitat

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - In Greece, the species prefers open areas such as grasslands inside mountain forests. In mountains it was observed also in all types of forests but most often in deciduous forests, in lower altitude it was observed also in xerothermous grasslands, shady olive plantations, small gorges with shrubs and in ruderal sites inside tourist resorts.

Biology

All nests were located under large stones, workers were also observed on the trunk of trees or on herbs.

Castes

Worker

• 

  Borowiec and Salata 2022. Figures 82.3-4, worker. Photographed by Lech Borowiec.
• 

  Borowiec and Salata 2022. Figures 82.1-2, worker. Photographed by Lech Borowiec.

Images from AntWeb

Holotype of Lasius bombycina. Worker. Specimen code antweb1038018. Photographer Roland Schultz, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by SMNG, Görlitz, Germany.

Seifert & Galkowski (2016), Figure 12. Hind tibia of the holotype of L. bombycine seen in the plane of flexion. .

Nomenclature

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

• bombycina. Lasius bombycina Seifert & Galkowski, 2016: , figs. 6, 10-12 (w.q.m.) TURKEY.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Numeric data given in the following description are primary data (without removal of allometric variance) of 50 measured individuals.

Rather large compared to related species, CS 893 ± 68 [744,1076] μm. Basic morphology not different from other members of the Lasius alienus group. Head moderately elongated, with convex sides and straight posterior margin of vertex, CL/CW 1.077 ± 0.017 [1.043,1.112]. Scape rather short: SL/CS 0.970 ± 0.018 [0.932,1.008]. Eye medium-sized and moderately distant from posterior margin of head: EYE/CS 0.238 ± 0.007 [0.223,0.253], PoOc/ CL 0.239 ± 0.008 [0.224,0.257]. Antennal socket situated rather close to posterior clypeal margin: dCLAn/CS 4.34 ± 0.35 [3.75,5.07]%. Masticatory border of mandibles with 8-9 teeth. Maxillary palps with six segments and comparably short: MP6/CS 0.160 ± 0.009 [0.143,0.176]. Pubescence on whole body surfaces very dense and whitish, sqPDCL 3.42 ±0.23 [3.05,3.98]. Mean length of pubescence hairs between frontal carinae 33.9 ± 2.38 [29.9,35.8] μm. Pilosity compared to next related species long. Eyes with rather many microsetae of 23.1 ± 1.98 [18,25] μm length (these unusually long microsetae are perhaps diagnostic but this was not thoroughly checked). Dorsal plane of scape with no or very few standing setae: nSc 0.55 ± 0.63 [0.0,2.5]. Genae with very few erect setae: nGen 1.10 ± 0.80 [0.0,3.0]. Underside of head and hind margin of vertex with rather numerous standing setae: nGu 3.34 ± 1.34 [1.5,8.5], nOcc 12.30 ± 2.66 [4.5,18.0]. Extensor profile of hind tibia with few and metapleuron below level of propodeal stigma with rather many erect to suberect setae: nHT 3.15 ± 1.77 [0.5,8.5], nSt 4.13 ± 1.32 [1.5,7.5]. Setae on pronotum long: PnHL/CS 0.161 ± 0.011 [0.137,0.201]. Whole body concolorous medium to blackish brown; mandibles, scapes and sometimes tibiae lighter reddish or yellowish brown. Mesosoma in lateral view with a rather low and more convex propodeal dome. Petiole scale low, in frontal view with convex sides which strongly converge towards the rather narrow dorsal crest which is slightly emarginate to straight.

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Large, HL 0.777-1.037 (mean 0.926), HW 0.712-0.982 (mean 0.860), ML 0.84-1.11. Scape moderately elongate, SL 0.721-0.978 (mean 0.868). Color. Body and femora concoloured, medium to dark brown. Mandibles, scapi and tibiae lighter reddish to yellowish brown. Structure and setation. Head slightly elongated, with convex sides and straight posterior margin. Terminal segment of maxillary palpi rather short with length of sixth segment 0.102-0.151 (mean 0.135). Occipital part of head with 12- 24 erected setae. Gena with up to two erected setae, underside of head with 2-8 erected setae. Mesosomal dorsum with several long erected setae (length of the longest seta 0.108-0.185, mean 0.145). Below propodeal spiracle 3-5 erected setae. Masticatory border of mandibles with 8-9 teeth. Antennal scapi with smooth pubescence lacking erected setae or at most with 2 erected setae. Hind tibiae on external surface in basal parts without or with 1-4 erected setae. Ventral surface of fore femora with 3-6 and mid femora 2-5 erected setae, of hind femora with 2-4 setae close to base of femur, anterior surface of fore coxa with several long erected setae. Pubescence on the whole body and appendages very dense and whitish. Pubescence of clypeus dense, mostly covering Clypeus. Surface of gastral tergites distinctly sculptured , first gastral tergite in central part with numerous erected setae. Propodeum in lateral view rather low and obtuse, metanotal groove moderately deep.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Capadoce: Ürgüp, 1060m, Türkiye, 38.63°N 34.91°E / 38.63; 34.91, 1990, S. Aron, Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz; SSE-facing meadow.

• Four paratype workers on a second pin, one male and a gyne paratype on a third pin, all with the same site labeling as the holotype but labeled "Paratype Lasius bombycina Seifert & Galkowski"; Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.
• Three paratype workers labelled "Türkei_26, Prov. Kayseri, Ziyarettepesi Gecidi (ca. 130 km E. Kayseri), 1900mH, 09.05.1997, Leg. A.Schulz, K.Vock, M. Sanetra 01"; Naturhistorisches Museum Wien.

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the rich, whitish pubescence giving the cuticular surface a silky appearance.

References

• Borowiec, L., Salata, S. 2021. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Western Greece. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 30: 1-23 (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.5571258).
• Borowiec, L., Salata, S. 2022. A monographic review of ants of Greece (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Vol. 1. Introduction and review of all subfamilies except the subfamily Myrmicinae. Part 1: text. Natural History Monographs of the Upper Silesian Museum 1: 1-297.
• Borowiec, L., Salata, S. 2022. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Thassos Island, Greece. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom, Entomology 31 (online 2): 1-15 (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.6123287).
• Bračko, G. 2019. New data on the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Azerbaijan. Caucasian Entomological Bulletin 15, 165–175 (doi:10.23885/181433262019151-165175).
• Csősz, S., Báthori, F., Gallé, L., Lőrinczi, G., Maák, I., Tartally, A., Kovács, É., Somogyi, A.Á., Markó, B. 2021. The myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Hungary: Survey of ant species with an annotated synonymic inventory. Insects 16;12(1):78 (doi:10.3390/insects12010078).
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• Schär, S., Menchetti, M., Schifani, E., Hinojosa, J.C., Platania, L., Dapporto, L., Vila, R. 2020. Integrative biodiversity inventory of ants from a Sicilian archipelago reveals high diversity on young volcanic islands (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Organisms Diversity, Evolution 20, 405–416 (doi:10.1007/s13127-020-00442-3).
• Schifani, E. (2022). The new checklist of the Italian fauna: Formicidae. Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography 37, ucl006 (doi:10.21426/b637155803).
• Seifert, B. 2020. A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Lasius s.str. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Soil Organisms 92(1): 15-86 (doi:10.25674/so92iss1pp15).
• Seifert, B. 2024. Pleistocene population differentiation in the ant Myrmica scabrinodis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) – a taxonomic borderline case. Soil Organisms 96(1): 11-21 (doi:10.25674/357).
• Seifert, B., Galkowski, C. 2016. The Westpalaearctic Lasius paralienus complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) contains three species. Zootaxa 4132: 44-58 (DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.4132.1.4).
• Snegovaya, N., Shigayev, C. 2021. A checklist of the ants (Insecta, Formicidae) of Azerbaijan Republic. Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics 17(2): 179-207 (doi:10.22067/ijab.2022.67343.1000).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2017. Ants of the Peloponnese, Greece (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Polish Journal of Entomology 86: 193-236.
• Salata S., L. Borowiec, and A.Trichas. 2018. Taxonomic Revision of the Cretan Fauna of the Genus Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with Notes on the Endemism of Ant Fauna of Crete. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 68(4): 769-808.
• Salata S., and L Borowiec. 2017. Species of Tetramorium semilaeve complex from Balkans and western Turkey, with description of two new species of (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 62:279–313.
• Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. A new species of the ant genus Lasius Fabricius, 1804 from Crete (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 789: 139–159.
• Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2018. Taxonomic and faunistic notes on Greek ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27: 1-51.
• Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2019. Preliminary division of not socially parasitic Greek Temnothorax Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with a description of three new species. ZooKeys 877: 81-131.
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• Seifert B., and C. Galkowski. 2016. The Westpalaearctic Lasius paralienus complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) contains three species. Zootaxa 4132(1): 44-58.