Lasius coloratus

Lasius coloratus
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. coloratus
Binomial name
Lasius coloratus Santschi, 1937 Specimen Labels

The species was always connected to woodland both in continental China and in Taiwan.

Identification

Seifert (2020) - For differences to the sister species Lasius sichuense, see there.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Palaearctic Lasius s. str.
• Key to Palaearctic Lasius subgenus Lasius s. st.

Distribution

Seifert (2020) - Distributed over the Chinese provinces Sichuan and Shaanxi from 28.82°N, 103.06°E to 34°N, 109°E. The two sites in Taiwan are at 23.5°N, 120.7°E and 24.0°N, 121.1 °E. The elevation of 13 sites was 1388 ± 517 [583, 2490] meters.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 33.98333333° to 33.98333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Taiwan (type locality).
Palaearctic Region: China.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• coloratus. Lasius niger st. coloratus Santschi, 1937h: 387 (w.q.) TAIWAN. Combination in L. (Lasius): Wilson, 1955a: 60. Junior synonym of niger: Wilson, 1955a: 60. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Seifert, 1992b: 44.

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

Description

Worker

Seifert (2020) - Rather large (CS 985 µm). Head and scape length indices rather large (CL/CW900 1.083, SL/CS900 1.029). Postocular and torulo-clypeal distances large (PoOc/CL900 0.250, dClAn900 5.23); terminal segment of maxillary palp long (MP6/CS900 0.209). Number of mandibular dents medium (MaDe900 8.28). Pubescence on clypeus moderately dense (sqPDCL900 4.69); frontal pubescence of medium length (PLF900 29.5). Pubescence surface on body and appendages rough. Setae of medium length and numerous (PnHL/CS900 0.156, GuHL/CS900 0.102, nOcc900 14.6, nGen900 5.5, nGu900 6.2, nSc900 24.6, nHT900 22.0). Sculpture on metapleuron, lower propodeum and often pronotum differing from the condition in species related to Lasius niger or Lasius japonicus in having regular, slightly curved, dense longitudinal carinulae and delicate microstructures within the meshes of the microreticulum. This produces a matt overall surface appearance at lower magnifications. Coloration: more or less bicolored. The lighter forms have the mesosoma pale yellowish-reddish brown, the dorsum of head slightly and the gaster notably darker. The darker forms have the mesosoma medium reddish brown, the dorsum of head dark brown with a reddish tinge and the gaster blackish brown.

See table 10 in Seifert 2020 for additional morphometrics. The abbreviated names of various quantitative data shown above are defined here: Seifert 2020 Lasius characters.

Type Material

Seifert (2020) - Lectotype (des. E.O. Wilson) and paralectotype worker labelled in Santschi‘s handwriting ”Lasius niger .... coloratus Sant“, ”Musha Formosa K. Sato“, ”Type“; depository Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel.

References

• Santschi, F. 1937h. Fourmis du Japon et de Formose. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 77: 361-388 (page 387, worker, queen described)
• 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 44, Revived from synonyimy, and raised to species)
• 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).
• Wilson, E. O. 1955a. A monographic revision of the ant genus Lasius. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 113:1-201. (page 60, Combination in L. (Lasius), and junior synonym of niger)
• Zhu, W., Wu, L., Duan, L., Xu, S. 2022. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern Shaanxi Province, China, with one new species of genus Proformica Ruzsky, 1902, Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 25, 101875 (doi:10.1016/j.aspen.2022.101875).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
• Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
• Ran H., and S. Y. Zhou. 2012. Checklist of chinese ants: formicomorph subfamilies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) II. Journal of Guangxi Normal University: Natural Science Edition 30(4): 81-91.
• Santschi F. 1937. Fourmis du Japon et de Formose. Bulletin et Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 77: 361-388.
• 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.
• Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
• Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
• Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
• Terayama. M. and Inoue. N. 1988. Ants collected by the members of the Soil Zoological Expedition to Taiwan. ARI Reports of the Myrmecologists Society (Japan) 18: 25-28
• Terayama. M. and Y. Watanabe. 1994. Ant fauna of the Zhongyang Mountains in Taiwan. Abstracts of papers presented at 33th Annual Meeting of the Myrmecological Society of Japan held on September 1st and 2nd, 1990, at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo. ARI Reports of the Myrmecologists Society (Japan) 18: 32