Lasius distinguendus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Lasius distinguendus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Lasius
Section: flavus clade
Species group: umbratus
Species: L. distinguendus
Binomial name
Lasius distinguendus
(Emery, 1916)

Lasius distinguendus casent0172737 profile 1.jpg

Lasius distinguendus casent0172737 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

This species exhibits temporary social parasitism. Queens found new colonies by infiltrating established nests of Lasius paralienus and Lasius platythorax, killing the queen and using host workers to care for her initial brood.

At a Glance • Temporary parasite  

Identification

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Lasius balcanicus and Lasius distinguendus workers are part of a group with long erect mesosomal setae, petiolar scale slightly broadened medially, slightly narrowed anterad with shallowly emarginate upper margin, and antennal scapus and hind tibiae usually with few suberect to erect setae. These two ants are most similar, within their complex, to Lasius sabularum but it has distinctly shorter erect setae. Also, less setose specimens of Lasius umbratus can be confused with species of the balcanicus-distinguendus complex but they differ in antennal scapus and hind tibia always with erect setae (on external margin of hind tibia usually with more than 10 setae). Queens are needed to separate L. balcanicus from L. distinguendus:

- Erect setae on anterior part of dorsal plane of first gastral tergite very long: GHL 0.137-0.176. Scape long SL/HW 0.804-0.962 . . . . . L. balcanicus

- Erect setae on anterior part of dorsal plane of first gastral tergite very long: GHL 0.080-0.092. Scape short SL/HW 0.732-0.787 . . . . . L. distinguendus

Collingwood (1979) - Most easily recognised in the queen caste. It is like a larger, paler Lasius mixtus but has more abundant genal hairs and a high broadly emarginate scale. The worker has occasional tibial hairs and longer body hairs than L. mixtus and would be more easily confused with Lasius umbratus.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Mainly found in South and Central Europe. According to B. Pisarski (priv. commun.) it occurs in North Germany and probably also in Poland (Collingwood 1979).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 50.769° to 38.59851°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Italy (type locality), Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Flight Period

X X X
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Source: antkeeping.info.

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Diptera

  • This species is a host for the Microdon fly Microdon devius (a predator) in Latium, central Italy (Scarparo et al., 2020).

Fungi

  • This species is a host for the fungus Aegeritella tuberculata (a pathogen) (Espadaler & Santamaria, 2012).

The reported host/parasite relationship between Lasius distinguendus and Lasius alienus as reported by Janda et al. (2004) should be investigated in the field as Seifert (2018) could not corroborated this relationship (de la Mora et al., 2021).

Castes

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Lasius distinguendus casent0172738 head 1.jpgLasius distinguendus casent0172738 profile 1.jpgLasius distinguendus casent0172738 profile 2.jpgLasius distinguendus casent0172738 dorsal 1.jpgLasius distinguendus casent0172738 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0172738. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • distinguendus. Formicina umbrata subsp. distinguenda Emery, 1916a: 64, figs. VI,4; VII,6 (w.q.) ITALY. Karavaiev, 1936: 214 (m.). [Also described as new, but bicornis susbp. distinguenda, by Emery, 1916b: 242.] Combination in Lasius: Müller, 1923: 13; in L. (Chthonolasius): Emery, 1925b: 234. Raised to species: Bondroit, 1918: 32. Subspecies of umbratus: Emery, 1922b: 13; Stärcke, 1937: 47. Status as species: Müller, 1923: 130. Junior synonym of umbratus: Wilson, 1955a: 151. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of umbratus: Pisarski, 1975: 39. Revived status as species: Collingwood, 1978: 72. See also: Collingwood, 1979: 102; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; Seifert, 1988: 149; Seifert, 1990: 10. Senior synonym of hybrida: Stärcke, 1937: 57; Seifert, 1988: 149; of nuda and material of the unavailable name cereomicans referred here: Seifert, 1990: 10.
  • nuda. Formicina umbrata var. nuda Bondroit, 1917a: 176, fig. 2 (q.) no locality given. Junior synonym of affinis: Emery, 1925b: 234; of umbratus: Stärcke, 1937: 57; Agosti & Collingwood, 1987a: 58; of distinguendus: Seifert, 1990: 10.
  • hybrida. Formicina distinguenda var. hybrida Bondroit, 1918: 33 (w.q.) ITALY. [First available use of Formicina umbrata subsp. distinguenda var. hybrida Emery, 1916a: 66; unavailable name.] Combination in Lasius (Chthonolasius): Emery, 1925b: 234. Subspecies of umbratus: Emery, 1922b: 13. Junior synonym of distinguendus: Stärcke, 1937: 57. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Arnol'di & Dlussky, 1978: 555 (in key). Junior synonym of distinguendus: Seifert, 1988: 149.

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

Description

Worker

Borowiec and Salata (2022) - Lasius balcanicus and Lasius distinguendus differ only in gyne caste, for differences see comparative characters. Monomorphic, small to moderately large, HL 1.032- 1.175, HW 1.008-1.151, ML 1.17-1.37. Scape moderately elongate, SL 0.825-0.992. Color. Whole body including appendages pale yellow. Structure and setation. Head slightly longer than wide, sides rounded, occipital margin straight to slightly concave. Eyes very small, head length 7.1-8.7 times the maximum diameter of eye. Whole frontal head covered with moderately long, appressed and moderately dense pubescence, and sparse, short to moderately long, erected setae, surface well visible, microsculptured but shiny. Occipital part of head with 24-28 long erected setae. Gena and underside of head with numerous erected setae. Mesosomal dorsum with several long erected setae, length of the longest seta 0.159. Below propodeal spiracle 5-8 short erected setae. Antennal scapi moderately flattened, anterior surface with short appressed and slightly decumbent pubescence and in apical 2/3 length with suberect hair and 0-3 short erected setae, posterior surface with 0-6 erected setae. Hind tibiae moderately broad and flattened, with (0)2-6 (8) suberect to erected setae on external surface. Ventral surface of femora and tibiae with several erected setae, anterior surface of fore coxa with few long erected setae. Pubescence on the whole body and appendages moderately dense and whitish. Pubescence of clypeus sparse, not covering clypeus surface. Surface of gastral tergites distinctly sculptured but shiny, first gastral tergite on the whole surface with dense, moderately long erected setae. Petiolar scale slightly broadened in the middle, slightly narrowed anterad, upper margin with shallow median emargination. Propodeum in lateral view high, slightly conical or with obtuse top, metanotal groove deep.

References

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)
  • Bernadou A., V. Fourcassié, and X. Espadaler. 2013. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Andorra. Zookeys 277: 13-23.
  • Bezdecka P. 1996. The ants of Slovakia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomofauna carpathica 8: 108-114.
  • Blinov V. V. 1984. New for the fauna of Byelorussia ant species. Vestsi Akademii Navuk BSSR. Seryia Biialahichnykh Navuk 1984(5): 113-115.
  • Boer P. 2019. Species list of the Netherlands. Accessed on January 22 2019 at http://www.nlmieren.nl/websitepages/specieslist.html
  • Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
  • Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2012. Ants of Greece - Checklist, comments and new faunistic data (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus 23(4): 461-563.
  • Borowiec L., and S. Salata. 2018. Notes on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Euboea Island, Central Greece. Annals of the Upper Silesian Museum in Bytom Entomology 27(5): 1-15.
  • Bracko G. 2007. Checklist of the ants of Slovenia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Natura Sloveniae 9: 15-24
  • Bracko, G. 2006. Review of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) of Croatia. Acta Entomologica Slovenica 14(2): 131-156.
  • Bracko, G.. "Review of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Croatia." Acta Entomologica Slovenica Vol 14 st (2006): 131-156.
  • Casevitz-Weulersse J., and C. Galkowski. 2009. Liste actualisee des Fourmis de France (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bull. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 114: 475-510.
  • Castracani C., D. A. Grasso, A. Fanfani, and A. Mori. 2010. The ant fauna of Castelporziano Presidential Reserve (Rome, Italy) as a model for the analysis of ant community structure in relation to environmental variation in Mediterranean ecosystems. J Insect Conserv 14: 585–594.
  • Colindre L. 2015. Les fourmis en Picardie: bilan 2014 (Hymenoptera/ Formicidae). Entomologiste Picard 26, 15 pages.
  • Consani M., and P. Zangheri. 1952. Fauna di Romagna. Imenotteri - Formicidi. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 31: 38-48.
  • Csosz S., B. Marko, K. Kiss, A. Tartally, and L. Galle. 2002. The ant fauna of the Ferto-Hansag National Park (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In: Mahunka, S. (Ed.): The fauna of the Fert?-Hanság National Park. Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, pp. 617-629.
  • Csősz S. and Markó, B. 2005. European ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the ant collection of the Natural History Museum of Sibiu (Hermannstadt/Nagyszeben), Romania II. Subfamily Formicinae. Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 97: 225-240.
  • Csősz S., B. Markó, and L. Gallé. 2001. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Stana Valley (Romania): Evaluation of the effectiveness of a myrmecological survey. – Entomologica Romanica 6 : 121-126.
  • Csősz S., B. Markó, and L. Gallé. 2011. The myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Hungary: an updated checklist. North-Western Journal of Zoology 7: 55-62.
  • Czechowski W., A. Radchenko, W. Czechowska and K. Vepsäläinen. 2012. The ants of Poland with reference to the myrmecofauna of Europe. Fauna Poloniae 4. Warsaw: Natura Optima Dux Foundation, 1-496 pp
  • Dubovikoff D. A., and Z. M. Yusupov. 2018. Family Formicidae - Ants. In Belokobylskij S. A. and A. S. Lelej: Annotated catalogue of the Hymenoptera of Russia. Proceedingss of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 6: 197-210.
  • Emery C. 1916. Fauna entomologica italiana. I. Hymenoptera.-Formicidae. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 47: 79-275.
  • 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., and C. Ascaso. "Adición a las hormigas del Montseny (Barcelona)." Orsis 5 (1990): 141-147.
  • Espadaler, X.. "Catàleg de les formigues del països catalans." Ses. Entomol. ICHN-SCL IX (1997): 23-42.
  • Espadaler, X.. "Contribución al conocimiento de los formícidos (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) del Pirineo catalán." Tesis Universida (1979): 285 pp.
  • Finzi, B.. "Quarto contributo alla conoscenza della fauna mirmecologica della Venezia Giulia." Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 60 (1928): 128-130.
  • GRETIA. 2017. Bilan annuel de l'enquete sur la repartition des fourmis armoricaines. 23 pages.
  • Gadeau de Kerville H. 1922. Materiaux pour la Faune des Hymenopteres de la Normandie. Bull. Soc. Amis Sc. Nat. Rouen 1916-1921, 1922: 217-225.
  • Galkowski C. 2013. Nouvelles données sur la répartition de Strongylognathus huberi Forel, 1874 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) en France. Bulletin de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux (n.s.) 41: 167-174.
  • Galkowski C., and C. Foin. 2013. Nouvelles données sur la répartition de Strongylognathus huberi Forel, 1874 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) en France. Bulletin de la Société Linnéenne de Bordeaux (n.s.) 41: 167-174.
  • 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.
  • Giacalone I., and M. Moretti. 2001. Contributo alla conoscenza della mirmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) dei castagneti al Sud delle Alpi (ticino, Svizzera). Bollettino della Societa ticinese di Scienze naturali 89(1-2): 51-60.
  • Gouraud C. 2015. Bilan de l’année 2014 : Atlas des fourmis de Loire-Atlantique (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Atlas des Formicidae de Loire-Atlantique, compte rendu de la première année d’étude (2014)
  • Gratiashvili N., Barjadze S. 2008. Checklist of the ants (Formicidae Latreille, 1809) of Georgia. Proceedings of the Institute of Zoology (Tbilisi) 23: 130-146.
  • Grzes I. M. 2009. Ant species richness and evenness increase along a metal pollution gradient in the Boles?aw zinc smelter area. Pedobiologia 53: 65-73.
  • Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
  • Hosoishi, S., S. Yamane and K. Ogata. 2010. Subterranean species of the ant genus Crematogaster in Asia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological Science 13:345-350.
  • Karaman M. G. 2011. A catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Montenegro. Podgorica: Catalogues 3, Volume 2, Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, 140 pp.
  • Kiran K., and C. Karaman. 2012. First annotated checklist of the ant fauna of Turkey (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3548: 1-38.
  • Lapeva-Gjonova, L., V. Antonova, A. G. Radchenko, and M. Atanasova. "Catalogue of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Bulgaria." ZooKeys 62 (2010): 1-124.
  • Markó B., B. Sipos, S. Csősz, K. Kiss, I. Boros, and L. Gallé. 2006. A comprehensive list of the ants of Romania (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 9: 65-76.
  • Markó B., S. Csősz. 2001: Nine new ant species in the Romanian fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): morphology, biology and distribution. – Entomologica Romanica 6: 127-132.
  • Menozzi C. 1918. Primo contributo alla conoscenza della fauna mirmecologica del Modenese. Atti della Società dei Naturalisti e Matematici di Modena. (5)4: 81-88.
  • Müller, G.. "Le formiche della Venezia Guilia e della Dalmazia." Bollettino della Società Adriatica di Scienze Naturali in Trieste 28 (1923): 11-180.
  • Petrov I. Z. 2002. Contribution to the myrmecofauna (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) of the Banat Province (Serbia). Archives of Biological Sciences, Belgrade, 54(1–2): 57-64.
  • Petrov I. Z. 2012. Preliminary data on ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) on Mountain Avala (Belgrade, Serbia). Bulletin of the Natural History Museum 5: 95-99.
  • Petrov I. Z., B. Petrov, D. Milicic, T. Karan-Znidarsic. 2007. Contribution to the Myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of East and South Serbia. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 59(3): 295-299.
  • Petrov I. Z., and C. A. Collingwood. 1992. Survey of the myrmecofauna (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) of Yugoslavia. Archives of Biological Sciences (Belgrade) 44: 79-91.
  • Pisarski B. 1969. Fourmis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mongolie. Fragmenta Faunistica (Warsaw). 15: 221-236.
  • Radchenko A., W. Czechowska, W. Czechowski, and E. Siedlar. 1999. Four species of the ant genus Lasius F. new to Poland, with additions to the records for previously reported species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Fragmenta Faunistica 42(11): 115-121.
  • 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.
  • Schar S., G Talavera, X. Espadaler, J. D. Rana, A. A. Andersen, S. P. Cover, and R. Vila. 2018. Do Holarctic ant species exist? Trans-Beringian dispersal and homoplasy in the Formicidae. Journal of Biogeography 00: 1-12.
  • Schlick-Steiner B. C., and F. M. Steiner. 1999. Faunistisch-ökologische Untersuchungen an den freilebenden Ameisen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Wiens. Myrmecologische Nachrichten 3: 9-53.
  • Schlick-Steiner, B.C., F.M. Steiner, B. Seifert and U. Straka. 2002. Lasius platythorax as a host of Lasius distinguendus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Insectes Sociaux 49:299
  • Seifert B. 1994. Die freilebenden Ameisenarten Deutschlands (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) und Angaben zu deren Taxonomie und Verbreitung. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Görlitz 67(3): 1-44.
  • Seifert B. 1998. Rote Liste der Ameisen. - in: M. Binot, R. Bless, P. Boye, H. Gruttke und P. Pretscher: Rote Liste gefährdeter Tiere Deutschlands. Bonn-Bad Godesberg 1998: 130-133.
  • Steiner F. M., S. Schödl, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2002. Liste der Ameisen Österreichs (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Stand Oktober 2002. Beiträge zur Entomofaunistik 3: 17-25.
  • Stärcke A. 1937. Retouches sur quelques fourmis d'Europe. II. Lasius groupe umbratus Nylander. Tijdschr. Entomol. 80: 38-72.
  • Suvak M. 2007. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the stubble-fields of east Slovakia. Acta Zoologica Universitatis Comenianae. 47: 21-33
  • Suñer i Escriche, David. "Contribució al coneixement mirmecologic de Gavarres, Montgrí, Guilleríes i la Serralada Transversal." Tesis Doctoral Universida (1991): 577 pp.
  • Tausan I., M. M. Jerpel, I. R. Puscasu, C. Sadeanu, R. E. Brutatu, L. A. Radutiu, and V. Giurescu. 2012. Ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Sibiu County (Transylvania, Romania). Brukenthal. Acta Musei 7(3): 499-520.
  • Vassilev I. 1987. The ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) from the valley of the river Racene. Annuaire de l'Universite de Sofia Kliment Ohridski Faceulte de Biologie 78: 74-79.
  • Vesni? A. 2011: Revidirani sistematski prijegled mrava Bosne i Hercegovine. Unutar : S. Lelo (urednik), Fauna Bosne i Hercegovine – Biosistematski pregledi. 7. izmijenjeno i popravljeno interno izdanje Udruženja za inventarizaciju i zaštitu životinja, Ilijaš, Kanton Sarajevo, pp: 205-207.
  • Wegnez P. 2014. Premières captures de Lasius distinguendus Emery, 1916 et de Temnothorax albipennis (Curtis, 1854) au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg (Hymenoptera : Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 150 (2014) : 168-171.
  • Wegnez P. 2018. Premières decouvertes de Myrmica bibikoffi Kutter, 1963 et de Ponera testacea Emery, 1895, au Luxembourg (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 154: 263–272.
  • Wegnez P., and F. Mourey. 2016. Formica uralensis Ruzsky, 1895 une espèce encore présente en France mais pour combien de temps ? (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 152: 72-80.
  • Wegnez P., and M. Fichaux. 2015. Liste actualisee des especes de fourmis repertoriees au Grand-Duche de Luxembourg (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin de la Société royale belge d’Entomologie 151: 150-165
  • Yamane S. 2007. Ants of Mongolia. The Nature and Insects. 42: 20-25
Retrieved from "https://antwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Lasius_distinguendus&oldid=722785"