Lasius fuji

Presuming this species is much like its sister-species Lasius fuliginosus, a species that it was long lumped with, its biology is much like this other species.

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.