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Lasius mauretanicus
| Lasius mauretanicus | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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. mauretanicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lasius mauretanicus Seifert, 2020
| |
Lasius mauretanicus behaves aggressively during disturbance of the nest. Alates were observed in the town of Agadir / Morocco in mid-May.
Identification
Seifert (2020) - Lasius mauretanicus differs from its sister species Lasius grandis by the longer terminal segment of maxillary palps, larger torulo-clypeal distance, higher clypeal pubescence density and more numerous genal and gular setae.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Morocco and the Canaric Islands, from sea level up to 2800 m.
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Canary Islands (type locality), Morocco.
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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Habitat
Seifert (2020) - At altitudes from sea level to 1600 m L. mauretanicus prefers moist and sheltered places such as Quercus, Salix, Castanea and Eucalyptus forests, Erica heather forest, Laurel forest or Pinus stands. At elevations above 1900 m it occurs in open pastures or grassland with spiny xerophytes or shrubs. In cities it occurs in shady gardens with trees.
Biology
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Holotype of Lasius mauretanicus. Worker. Specimen code antweb1041448. 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.
- mauretanicus. Lasius mauretanicus Seifert, 2020: 68, figs. 67-68 (w.) CANARY IS.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
A sister species of Lasius grandis. Absolute size medium to large (CS 943 µm). Head and scape length indices large (CL/ CW900 1.086, SL/CS900 1.035); postocular distance low (PoOc/ CL900 0.222); torulo-clypeal distance very large (dClAn900 5.41); eye size medium (EYE/CS900 0.242); terminal segment of maxillary palp very long (MP6/CS900 0.224). Number of mandibular dents large (MaDe900 8.55). Pubescence on clypeus dense (sqPDCL900 3.92); frontal pubescence short (PLF900 27.5). All body parts with very numerous and rather long standing setae (PnHL/CS900 0.151, GuHL/CS900 0.123, nGu900 16.3, nSc900 21.4, nHT900 22.5). Coloration: rather homogenously dark brown with the exception of the pale yellowish-brown mandibles, scapes and tibiae.
See table 7 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 5 paratype workers on two pins labelled ” SPA:28.795°N, 17.803°W La Palma: Los Sauces -5 km W, Los Tilos, 830 m leg. Seifert 1995.07.15“; depository Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.
Etymology
The name refers to ”Mauritania“, the Latin name for a region in the ancient Maghreb in which the new species is found.