Lasius creticus

Lasius creticus
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 complex:	obscuratus
Species:	L. creticus
Binomial name
	Lasius creticus; Seifert, 2020 Specimen Labels

One sample was collected from a Platanus stand of 90% canopy cover near a river at 1000 m and another one from an Abies stand of 70% canopy cover at 1900 m. (Seifert 2020)

Identification

Palaearctic Lasius s. str. species belonging to the Lasius obscuratus species complex.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Seifert (2020) - The islands of Crete and Rhodes, Anatolia east to north Iran (35.83°N, 50.94°E). All seven localities are situated at latitudes of 35 to 41°N and altitudes of 25 to 1900 m.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Greece (type locality), Iran.

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.

Habitat

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Thermophilous species, in Greece observed in areas from sea level to 1000 m a.s.l. (but Seifert (2020 a) noted sample in Turkey from 1900 m). Ants were observed on sandy beach areas, seashores with frygana and Pinus trees, deciduous light forests along stream banks and in one case in the urban area.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Holotype of Lasius creticus. Worker. Specimen code antweb1041438. Photographer Roland Schultz, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by SMNG, Görlitz, Germany.

Nomenclature

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

creticus. Lasius creticus Seifert, 2020: 57, figs. 29-30 (w.) GREECE (Crete).

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

Description

Worker

The allocation to the Lasius obscuratus complex is given by rather small absolute size (CS 859 µm), moderate scape and head length indices (CL/CW900 1.083, SL/CS900 0.965), medium number of mandibular dents (MaDe900 8.2), relatively large length of frontal pubescence hairs (PLF900 33.9), dilute clypeal pubescence(sqPDCL900 5.19) and reduced pilosity on dorsal plane of scape and extensor profile of hind tibia (nSc900 0.7, nHT900 2.6). It is outstanding within this complex by long maxillary palps (MP6/CS900 0.196), short postocular index (PoOc/ CL900 0.229) and very long setae on hind margin of head and gula (GuHL/CS900 0.125). Coloration: varying from concolorous light reddish-brown to concolorous medium brown with reddish tinge.

See table 3 in Seifert 2020 for additional morphometrics. The abbreviated names of various quantitative data shown above are defined here: Seifert 2020 Lasius characters.

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Moderately large, HL 0.819-0.953 (mean 0.897), HW 0.775-0.872 (mean 0.822), ML 0.79-1.02. Scape moderately elongate, SL 0.779-0.891 (mean 0.836). Color. Body concoloured light reddish brown to medium brown with reddish tinge, mesosoma often slightly lighter than gaster and head. Mandibles, scapi and tibiae lighter than mesosoma, yellowish brown. Structure and setation. Head slightly elongated, with convex sides and straight posterior margin. Terminal segment of maxillary palpi elongate with length of sixth segment 0.166-0.181 (mean 0.171). Occipital part of head with 14-22 very long erected setae. Gena with up to two erected setae, underside of head with 4-8 long erected setae. Mesosomal dorsum with several long erected setae (length of the longest seta 0.110-0.147, mean 0.124). Below propodeal spiracle 1-4 erected setae. Masticatory border of mandibles with 8-9 teeth. Antennal scapi with smooth pubescence lacking erected setae. Hind tibiae on external surface in basal parts without or with 0-3 erected setae. Ventral surface of fore femora with 3-7 and mid femora 2-6 erected setae, of hind femora with 2-5 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 very sparse, not covering Clypeus. Surface of gastral tergites distinctly sculptured, first gastral tergite in central part with numerous erected setae. Propodeum in lateral view low and obtuse, metanotal groove moderately deep.

Type Material

Holotype plus 5 paratype workers on two pins labelled ”GREECE: 24.04—04.05.1992 Kreta, 1 km NW Melambos, 600–700 mH 626 leg. Schulz“; 6 paratype workers on two pins labelled ”GR- Kreta 1 km NW Ano Meros 1000 m 658 Platanen an Fluß 90% Leg: Schulz 24.-04.05.92“; depository Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.

Etymology

The name refers to the island of Crete.

References