Lasius fuji

This species inhabits low elevations (700-1500 m) in forested areas of eastern and northeastern Mongolia (Aibek & Yamane, 2010). Nests are under the base of living trees and decaying stumps. Presuming it is much like its sister-species Lasius fuliginosus, a species that it was long lumped with, its biology is likely much like this species (Radchenko, 2005).

Identification
Radchenko (2005) –

Distribution
Radchenko (2005) - Russian Far East (Amursky, Khabarovsky and Primorsky Regions, Isl. Sakhalin, Southern Kurily Islands), north-eastern China, Korean Peninsula, Japan (all four main Islands); it is the most common ‘’Dendrolasius’’ species in this area.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Russian Federation.

Nomenclature

 *  fuji. Lasius (Dendrolasius) fuji Radchenko, 2005a: 91, figs. 52-65 (w.q.) NORTH KOREA.

This species is what was considered the eastern form of Lasius fuliginosus.

Worker
Type specimens (the holotype in brackets) [mean in square brackets] HL1 = 1.19-1.43 (1.41) [1.33); HL2 = 1.29-1.51 (1.51) [1.42], HW1 = 1.18-1.43 (1.43) [1.32], HW2 = 0.71-0.95 (0.92) [0.82], SL = 1.08-1.27 (1.27) [1.19), OL = 0.24-0.28 (0.28) [0.26], AL = 1.50- 1.68 (1.68) [1.57] mm; CI = 0.95-1.01 (1.01) [0.99], CLI = 1.06-1.10 (1.07) [1.07], CWI = 1.53-1.57 (1.55) [1.60], SI1 = 0.86-0.92 (0.90) [0.89], SI2 = 0.88-0.93 (0.89) [0.90], OI = 0.18-0.21 (0.20) [0.19].

Petiolar scale (seen in profile) relatively thick, not flattened at the top, approximately inversely U -shaped; when seen in front or from behind, it is only slightly narrowing to the dorsal crest; head with convex sides, gradually and slightly narrowing anteriorly, and with distinctly emarginate occipital margin; scape, mid and hind tibiae not flattened, elliptical in cross-section; ratio of min/max diameters of the scape > 0.7; scape and legs with decumbent pilosity only; promesonotal dorsum and occipital margin with relatively short and abundant standing hairs.

Since all three castes of “oriental fuliginosus” were described and characterised comprehensively several times by different authors (Wilson 1955; Yamauchi 1978; Kupyanskaya 1989, 1990; Espadaler et al. 2001; Imai et al. 2003), I do not provide a formal description.

Queen
[mean in square brackets] HL1 = 1.36-1.40 [1.38]; HL2 = 1.44-1.50 [1.47], HW1 = 1.40-1.46 [1.42], HW2 = 0.83-0.87 [0.84], SL = 1.26-1.27 [1.265], OL = 0.34-0.36 [0.345], AL = 1.90-2.04 [1.97] mm; CI = 1.03-1.04 [1.033], CLI = 1.06-1.07 [1.066], CWI = 1.68-1.70 [1.69], SI1 = 0.91-0.93 [0.92], SI2 = 0.88-0.90 [0.89], OI = 0.24-0.25 [0.243].

Petiolar scale (seen in profile) relatively thick, not flattened at the top, approximately inversely U-shaped; head with convex sides, gradually and slightly narrowing anteriorly, and with distinctly emarginate occipital margin; scape, mid and hind tibiae not flattened, elliptical in cross-section; ratio of min/max diameters of the scape > 0.7; legs and scape with dense decumbent pubescence only; head, alitrunk and gaster with abundant, but not very long standing hairs, and with well-developed decumbent pubescence.

Type Material
Holotype, worker, North Korea, Prov. Chagang, Myohyang-san Mts., way to Pirobong, No. 275-85, 25.VI.l985, leg. M. Woyciechowski ; paratypes: 15 workers, 6 queens from the same nest as the holotype.

Etymology
The species is named after Fuji-san Mt., one of the greatest symbols of Japan.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Aibek U., and S. Yamane. 2010. Discovery of the subgenera Austrolasius and Dendrolasius of the ant genus Lasius (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Mongolia. Japanese Journal of Systematic Entomology 16: 197-202.
 * Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
 * Hosaka T., L. Di, K. Eguchi, and S. Numata. 2019. Ant assemblages on littered food waste and food removal rates in urban–suburban parks of Tokyo. Basic and Applied Ecology 37: 1–9.
 * Lelej A. S. 2012. Annotated catalogue of the Insects of Russian Far East. Volume 1. Hymenoptera. Dalnauka: Vladivostok. 635 p.
 * Maruyama M. 2005. The latest scientific names of the Japanese species of the subgenus Dendrolasius (genus Lasius), corresponding to their Japanese names. Ari 27: 25-27.
 * Maruyama M., F. M. Steiner, C. Stauffer, T. Akino, R. H. Crozier, and B. C. Schlick-Steiner. 2008. A DNA and morphology based phylogenetic framework of the ant genus Lasius with hypotheses for the evolution of social parasitism and fungiculture. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:Article 237 (doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-237).
 * Radchenko A. 2005. A review of the ants of the genus Lasius Fabricius, 1804, subgenus Dendrolasius Ruzsky, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from east Palaearctic. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 55: 83-94.
 * Radchenko, A. 2005. Monographic revision of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of North Korea. Annales Zoologici (Warsaw) 55: 127-221.
 * Radchenko, A. 2005. Monographic revision of the ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of North Korea. Annales Zoologici 55(2): 127-221.
 * Shimana Y., and S. Yamane. 2009. Geogrpahical distribution of Technomyrmex brunneus Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the western part of the mainland of Kagoshima, South Kyushu, Japan. Ari 32: 9-19.
 * Tanaka H. O., T. F. Haraguchi, I. Tayasu, and F. Hyodo. 2019. Stable and radio-isotopic signatures reveal how the feeding habits of ants respond to natural secondary succession in a cool-temperate forest. Insectes Sociaux 66(1): 37-46.
 * Terayama M., S. Kubota, and K. Eguchi. 2014. Encyclopedia of Japanese ants. Asakura Shoten: Tokyo, 278 pp.
 * Yamane S., Y. Harada, and K. Eguchi. 2013. Classification and ecology of ants. Natural history of ants in Southern Kyushu. 200 pages