Lasius cinereus

Lasius cinereus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Lasiini
Genus:	Lasius
Section:	niger clade
Species group:	niger
Species:	L. cinereus
Binomial name
	Lasius cinereus; Seifert, 1992 Specimen Labels

The majority of collection sites are on limestone ground with habitats including xerothermous grassland, bare rocky ground with spiny shrubs, a sunny Juniperus Artemisia phytoassociation, open broad-leafed forest or sunny Pinus forests. Lasius cinereus is distinctly more xerothermous than L. grandis and there seems to exist mutual spatial exclusion. Nest were under stones, in dead wood laying on ground, and in soil. The workers behave aggressively during disturbance of the nest. (Seifert 2020)

Identification

Seifert (2020) - A species related to Lasius grandis. Absolute size rather small (CS 860 µm). Head and scape length indices large (CL/CW900 1.091, SL/CS900 1.012); postocular distance low (PoOc/CL900 0.219); torulo-clypeal distance large (dClAn900 5.01); eye size rather small (EYE/CS900 0.233); terminal segment of maxillary palp moderately long (MP6/CS900 0.197). Number of mandibular dents large (MaDe900 8.69). Pubescence on clypeus rather dense (sqPDCL900 4.37); frontal pubescence very short (PLF900 23.5). All body parts with rather numerous standing setae of medium length (PnHL/CS900 0.146, GuHL/ CS900 0.116, nGu900 13.2, nSc900 22.6, nHT900 20.1). In difference to L. grandis, cuticular surface of dorsal head and mesosoma completely matt; this is caused by fine punctures (”ultrastructures“) within the meshes of the microreticulum or in interspaces of microrugae. Coloration: head and gaster blackish brown; mesosoma dark to medium brown with a yellowish-reddish tinge but even in the lightest specimens darker than in the light color morph of Lasius emarginatus. Mandibles, anterior clypeal margin and scape orange brown (Abbreviations for measurements, ratios and functions are defined here: Seifert 2020 Lasius characters).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Seifert (2020) - Iberia and southernmost France with the northern border running here approximately over points near Montpellier (43.63°N, 3.87°E), near Avignon (43.97°N, 4.60°E) and near Cannes (43.51°N, 6.91°E). Altitudinal records range from 70–200 m in southern France and 430–1950 m in Spain.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 43.66666667° to 37.85°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: France, Iberian Peninsula, Spain (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.

Biology

Castes


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Nomenclature

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

cinereus. Lasius (Lasius) cinereus Seifert, 1992b: 33, fig. 25 (w.) SPAIN.

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

Description

Type Material

Seifert (2020) - Holotype plus 2 paratypes on the same pin labelled ”45 km N Castellon 7.5.91,-116, 430 m 5 WSW Alcala de Chivert“; depository: Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.

References

Blatrix, R., Aubert, C., Decaëns, T., Berquier, C., Andrei-Ruiz, M.-C., Galkowski, C. 2020. Contribution of a DNA barcode to an assessment of the specificity of ant taxa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on Corsica. European Journal of Entomology 117: 420-429 (doi:10.14411/eje.2020.046).
Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Catarineu, C., Barberá, G.G., Reyes-López, J.L. 2018. Zoogeography of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of southeastern Iberian Peninsula. Sociobiology 65, 383-396 (doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v65i3.2822).
Espadaler, X., ; Roig, X. 2000 [2000]. Ants from the Montnegre-Corredor Natural Park (NE Spain) with description of the male Lasius cinereus Seifert (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Miscellania Zoologica (Barcellona) 23: 45-53 (page 50, male described)
Menchetti, M., Schifani, E., Alicata, A., Vila, R. 2023. Quantitative morphology and mtDNA reveal that Lasius maltaeus is not endemic to the Maltese Islands (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 95, 129–142 (doi:10.3897/jhr.95.96365).
Pérez‐Marcos, M., López‐Gallego, E., Arnaldos, M.I., Martínez‐Ibáñez, D., García, M.D. 2020. Formicidae (Hymenoptera) community in corpses at different altitudes in a semiarid wild environment in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Entomological Science 23, 297–310 (doi:10.1111/ENS.12422).
Schär, S., Talavera, G., Rana, J.D., Espadaler, X., Cover, S.P., Shattuck, S.O., Vila, R. 2022. Integrative taxonomy reveals cryptic diversity in North American Lasius ants, and an overlooked introduced species. Scientific Reports 12: 5970: 1-12 (doi:10.1038/s41598-022-10047-9).
Seifert, B. 1992b. A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the ant subgenus Lasius s.str. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Abh. Ber. Naturkundemus. Görlitz 66(5): 1-67 (page 33, fig. 25 worker described)
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).
Tinaut, A., Ruano, F. 2021. Biogeography of Iberian ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Diversity 13, 88. (doi:10.3390/d13020088).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

AntArea. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://antarea.fr/fourmi/
Antarea (Personal Communication - Rumsais Blatrix- 27 April 2018)
Antarea (at www.antarea.fr on June 11th 2017)
Asociacion Iberica de Mirmecologia. 2016. List of species collected during the Taxomara Murcia 2016. Iberomyrmex 8: 48-49.
Blanco J. L., D. Carpi, and X. Espadaler. 2012. Tres nuevas adiciones a las hormigas de Aragón (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Boletín de la Sociedad entomológica Aragonesa 50: 563-564.
Blatrix R., C. Lebas, C. Galkowski, P. Wegnez, P. Pimenta, and D. Morichon. 2016. Vegetation cover and elevation drive diversity and composition of ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Mediterranean ecosystem. – Myrmecological News 22: 119-127.
Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
Casevitz-Weulersse J., and C. Galkowski. 2009. Liste actualisee des Fourmis de France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bull. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 114: 475-510.
Espadaler X. F. Garcia, K. Gomez, S. Serrano, and R. Vila. 2009. Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Mont-Rebei gorge (Pallars Jussà). Boletín Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 44: 393399.
Espadaler X., F. Garcia, X. Roig, and R. Vila. 2013. Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Castell de Montesquiu park (Osona, north-east of the Iberian Peninsula). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.) 53: 223-227.
Espadaler X., J. Casevitz-Weulersse, and E. Imbert. 2011. Lasius cinereus Seifert, une espèce nouvelle pour la France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), sa distribution en Espagne et en France et remarques sur sa biologie Revue Francaise d'Entomologie (Nouvelle Série) 32: 105-112
Galkowski C. 2008. Quelques fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes pour la faune de France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux, 143, N.S. 36, 4 : 423-433.
Galkowski C. 2011. Une liste des fourmis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) récoltées dans la région de Grasse, avec la mention dune nouvelle espèce de la faune de France. Bulletin de la Société linnéenne de Provence, 62 : 41-44.
Galkowski C., and C. Lebas. 2016. Temnothorax conatensis nov. sp., décrite des Pyrenees-Orientales (France) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Revue de l’Association Roussillonnaise d’Entomologie 25(2): 80-87.
Garcia Garcia F., and A. D. Cuesta-Esgura. 2017. First catalogue of the ants of Burgos province, Spain (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 60: 245–258.
García F., X. Espadaler, P. Echave, and R. Vila. 2011. Hormigas (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) de los acantilados de l'Avenc de Tavertet (Osona) Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 47: 363-367.
Gomez C., D. Casellas, J. Oliveras, and J. M. Bas. 2003. Structure of ground-foraging ant assemblages in relation to land-use change in the northwestern Mediterranean region. Biodiversity and Conservation 12: 21352146.
Gomez, C., P. Pons and J.M. Bas. 2003. Effects of the Argentine ant Linepithema humile on Seed Dispersal and Seedling Emergence of Rhamnus alaternus. Ecography 26(4):532-538
González Martín J. D., and X. Espadaler. 2011. Formicidos del País Vasco (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Nuevas aportaciones. Heteropterus Revista de Entomologia 11(1): 109-122.
Lebas C., C. Galkowski, P. Wegnez, X. Espadaler, and R. Blatrix. 2015. The exceptional diversity of ants on mount Coronat (Pyrénées-Orientales), and Temnothorax gredosi(Hymenoptera, Formicidae) new to France. R.A.R.E., T. XXIV (1): 24 33
Roig X., X. Espadaler, R. Cusco, F. Garcia, K. Gomez, S. Serrano, and R. Vila. 2008. Ants in gypsum areas. First record from Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula) of Cardiocondyla batesii Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) with an updated list of Catalan Formicidae. Boletin Sociedad Entomologica Aragonesa 42: 189-192.
Seifert B. 1992. A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the ant subgenus Lasius s.str. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Görlitz 66(5): 1-67.
Seifert, B.. "A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the ant subgenus Lasius s. str." Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Goerlitz 66(5) (1992): 1-66.
Talavera G., X. Espadaler, and R. Vila. Discovered just before extinction? The first endemic ant from the Balearic Islands (Lasius balearicus sp. nov.) is endangered by climate change. Journal of Biogeography doi:10.1111/jbi.12438
del Campo Gracia P., M. D. Martinez Ibanez, A. Tinaut, and S. Montagud Alario. 2014. Faunistic study of the Formicidae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the Comunitat Valenciana (Spain). Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent. 38 (1-2): 33-65.