Prolasius

Prolasius
Prolasius advena
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Melophorini
Genus:	Prolasius Forel, 1892
Type species
Formica advena, now Prolasius advena
Diversity
19 species (Species Checklist, Species by Country) Prolasius advena Specimen Label

Evolutionary Relationships

Formicinae Myrmelachistini   (2 genera) Lasiini   (11 genera) Melophorini Melophorus   (92 species) Stigmacros   (39 species) Myrmecorhynchus   (3 species) Lasiophanes   (6 species) Notostigma   (2 species) Notoncus   (6 species) Pseudonotoncus   (2 species) Prolasius   (19 species) Teratomyrmex   (3 species) Formicini   (8 genera) Gesomyrmex, Oecophylla Plagiolepidini   (9 genera) Gigantiops, Myrmoteras, Santschiella Camponotini   (8 genera)

Based on Ward et al. 2016.

Photo Gallery

• 

  Foraging worker, Canberra, Australia. Photo by Steve Shattuck.
• 

  Foraging worker, Canberra, Australia. Photo by Steve Shattuck.

Distribution

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

	Afrotropical Region	Australasian Region	Indo-Australian Region	Malagasy Region	Nearctic Region	Neotropical Region	Oriental Region	Palaearctic Region
Species	0	19	1	0	0	0	0	0
Total Species	2839	1735	3036	932	834	4378	1708	2836

Biology

Association with Other Organisms

All Associate Records for Genus

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Taxon	Relationship	Associate Type	Associate Taxon	Associate Relationship	Locality	Source	Notes
Prolasius advena	host	nematode	Diploscapter formicidae	parasite		Quevillon, 2018	multiple encounter modes; indirect transmission; transmission outside nest
Prolasius advena	host	nematode	Diploscapter formicidae	parasite	New Zealand	Zhao et al., 2013

Life History Traits

• Mean colony size: 200-1470 (Greer et al., 2021)
• Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
• Nest site: hypogaeic; arboreal (Greer et al., 2021)
• Diet class: herbivore; omnivore (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)
• Foraging behaviour: cooperative (Greer et al., 2021)

Castes

Worker of P. nitidissimus from Tasmania.

Morphology

Worker Morphology

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• Antennal segment count: 12 • Antennal club: gradual • Palp formula: 6,4 • Total dental count: 5-6 • Spur formula: 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes: 11-100 ommatidia • Scrobes: absent • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: absent • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: present

Karyotype

Species Uncertain

• Prolasius sp.(ANIC-1): n = 9, 2n = 18 (Australia) (Imai et al., 1977).
• Prolasius sp.(ANIC-2): 2n = 18 (Australia) (Imai et al., 1977).

All Karyotype Records for Genus

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Taxon	Haploid	Diploid	Karyotype	Locality	Source	Notes
Prolasius		18		Australia	Imai et al., 1977
Prolasius	9	18		Australia	Imai et al., 1977

Nomenclature

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

• PROLASIUS [Formicinae: Lasiini]
  • Prolasius Forel, 1892c: 331 [as subgenus of Lasius]. Type-species: Formica advena, by monotypy.
  • Prolasius subgenus of Lasius: Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 143.
  • Prolasius subgenus of Melophorus: Forel, 1917: 248; Emery, 1925b: 13.
  • Prolasius raised to genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 695; Clark, 1934c: 66; Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71.

References

• Agosti, D. 1991. Revision of the oriental ant genus Cladomyrma, with an outline of the higher classification of the Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 16: 293-310. (page 296, Prolasius in Formicinae, Lasius genus group)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 99, Prolasius in Formicinae, Lasiini)
• Boudinot, B.E., Borowiec, M.L., Prebus, M.M. 2022. Phylogeny, evolution, and classification of the ant genus Lasius, the tribe Lasiini and the subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 47, 113-151 (doi:10.1111/syen.12522).
• Buxton, J.T., Robert, K.A., Marshall, A.T., Dutka, T.L., Gibb, H. 2021. A cross-species test of the function of cuticular traits in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 31: 31-46 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_031:031).
• Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
• Clark, J. 1934c. Ants from the Otway Ranges. Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 8: 48-73 (page 66, Prolasius as genus)
• Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 181, Prolasius as subgenus of Lasius)
• Donisthorpe, H. 1943g. A list of the type-species of the genera and subgenera of the Formicidae. [part]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 11(10): 617-688 (page 687, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 13, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Forel, A. 1892c. Die Ameisen Neu-Seelands. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 8: 331-343 (page 331, Prolasius as subgenus of Lasius)
• Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 248, Prolasius in Camponotinae, Meloporini; Prolasius as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Hashimoto, Y. 1990. Unique features of sensilla on the antennae of Formicidae (Hymenoptera). Applied Entomology and Zoology 25: 491-501.
• McAreavey, J. 1947. New species of the genera Prolasius Forel and Melophorus Lubbock (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 15: 7-27 (page 9, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as genus)
• Taylor, R. W.; Brown, D. R. 1985. Formicoidea. Zool. Cat. Aust. 2:1- 149: 1-149, 30 (page 142, Prolasius as genus)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 143, Prolasius as subgenus of Lasius)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 695, Prolasius as genus; Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1935c. Myrmecological notes. Psyche (Camb.) 42: 68-72 (page 71, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as genus)