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Lasius cyperus
| Lasius cyperus | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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. cyperus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lasius cyperus Seifert, 2020
| |
Known only from the type collection, a small series taken from a single nest. Nothing is known about the biology of Lasius cyperus.
Identification
Seifert (2020) - Lasius cyperus is a sister species of Lasius platythorax and probably endemic to Cyprus. It differs from platythorax by the smaller postocular distance, the shorter and fewer scape setae, the yellowish component of body color, the extremely long setae on posterior margin of vertex, and the much less pubescent petiole scale.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Cyprus (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. |
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Biology
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
  
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| Holotype of Lasius cyperus. Worker. Specimen code antweb1041439. 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.
- cyperus. Lasius cyperus Seifert, 2020: 65, figs. 59-60 (w.) CYPRUS.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Medium-sized (CS 894 µm). Head length index low (CL/CW900 1.058), scape short (SL/CS900 0.954), postocular distance rather small (PoOc/CL900 0.234); eye size rather small (EYE/CS900 0.229); terminal segment of maxillary of medium length (MP6/CS900 0.188). Number of mandibular dents medium (MaDe900 8.24). Pubescence on clypeus and on petiole scale extremely sparse (sqPDCL900 5.90). All body parts with very long and numerous standing setae (PnHL/CS900 0.172, GuHL/ CS900 0.138, nGu900 17.3, nHT900 27.5), those on hind margin of vertex extremely long, those on scape shorter and less numerous. Coloration: head, mesosoma, and gaster brown with a yellowish component. Scape and tibiae (in particular fore tibiae) yellowish.
See table 6 in Seifert 2020 for additional morphometrics. The abbreviated names of various quantitative data shown above are defined here: Seifert 2020 Lasius characters.
Type Material
Holotype and two paratype workers on the same pin labelled ”CYPERN – 11 Prov. Limassol, Platres 1200 mH Leg. Sanetra, 28.03.94“; 9 paratype workers on three other pins from the holotype nest with the same labelling; depository Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.
Etymology
The name refers to the terra typica Cyprus.