Lasius carniolicus

This species is a temporary parasite of Lasius alienus, Lasius flavus and Lasius piliferus.

Identification
Worker yellow to reddish yellow. Funiculus segments broad; scape oval in section; maxillary palps with segments 5 and 6 subequal, distinctly shorter than 4. Petiole in profile nodal with both anterior and posterior faces convex; in front view with rounded dorsal surface. Sides of head curving forward into close set mandibles; head cordate with rounded occipital corners, posterior margin slightly concave. Body pubescence long and thick, merging into short suberect hairs on all surfaces. Length: 3.5-3.7 mm (Collingwood 1979).

Distribution
Pyrenees to Siberia, ltaly to Poland and South Sweden, also Afghanistan, Karakorum and Himalayas (Faber, 1967).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: Pakistan. Palaearctic Region: Afghanistan, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iberian Peninsula, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Poland, Republic of Macedonia, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.

Biology
Collingwood (1979) - This species has a wide but scattered occurrence, rather local but sometimes abundant in the restricted areas where it occurs. Nests are found under stones in sandy soil in open dry woodland or pasture. The queens which are no larger than the worker start colonies by adoption in nests of Lasius alienus or Lasius flavus. Flight period September/October. Faber (1967) records extreme physogastry in the mature egg laying queen of the related species Lasius reginae Faber.

Wilson (1955) - This species apparently holds its nuptial flights late in the year, since all of the reproductives recorded so far have been collected in October. Kutter (1946) mentions a nuptial flight which occurred at Lagern, near Zurich, at 4 p.m., October 13.

Nomenclature

 *  carniolicus. Lasius carniolicus Mayr, 1861: 51 (diagnosis in key) (q.) YUGOSLAVIA. Forel, 1886f: 206 (w.m.). Combination in Formicina: Emery, 1916b: 242; in Acanthomyops: Ruzsky, 1925b: 45; in Lasius (Chthonolasius): Ruzsky, 1914a: 59; Müller, 1923: 132; Wilson, 1955a: 189; in L. (Austrolasius): Faber, 1967: 74. Senior synonym of kusnezovi: Wilson, 1955a: 189. See also: Bernard, 1967: 365; Kutter, 1977c: 230; Collingwood, 1982: 292; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 221; Atanassov & Dlussky, 1992: 252.
 * kusnezovi. Lasius (Chthonolasius) carniolicus var. kusnezovi Karavaiev, 1929b: 212, fig. 5 (w.) RUSSIA. Junior synonym of carniolicus: Wilson, 1955a: 189.

Worker
Wilson (1955) - (1) Petiole seen from the side thick, with a broadly rounded dorsal crest; in frontal view gently tapering dorsally, the dorsal crest convex and non-emarginate.

(2) Eyes set in shallow circumocular depressions and quite small relative to head size; EL 0.11-0.13 mm.

(3) Mandibles more slender than in other Lasius, with a reduced offset basal tooth as in L. sitkaensis.

(4) The mandibles set closer to the median line than in other Lasius; in frontal view the genal margins (from the anterior borders of the eyes to the mandibular insertions) strongly convex.

(5) Body hairs relatively short and sparse, those on the first three gastric tergites predominantly decumbent. Appendages nearly devoid of pilosity, with only an occasional short decumbent hair along the flexor margins. Body and appendage pubescence dense and predominantly appressed.

(6) Body and appendages medium yellow to very light brownish yellow, the median and posterior areas of the head usually somewhat darker, medium to dark yellowish brown.

(7) Size apparently averaging smaller than in most Chthonolasius; extreme PW range of sample studied 0.53-0.60 mm.

Queen
Wilson (1955) - (1) The smallest of all the species of Lasius in this caste, not exceeding in total size the worker caste; HW of 5 specimens examined (from 5 localities) 0.76, 0.77, 0.77, 0.77, 0.78 mm.

(2) Petiole seen from the side shaped like an inverted U: short, thick, and broadly convex dorsally. In frontal view the dorsal crest broadly convex and non-emarginate. (Pl. 2, Fig. 5).

(3) Mandible relatively small, slender, and delicate, subfalcate with a concave masticatory border and prominent long, narrow apical tooth. Dentition reduced to the apical, subapical, first intercalary, and three basal teeth.

(4) Entire body covered with light yellow standing hairs which rarely exceed 0.11 mm. in length. These are unusual in being abundant over the gular surface and around the entire cephalic margin. Shorter hairs, predominantly decumbent-subdecumbent, occur over all surfaces of the femora and tibiae. Body pubescence everywhere dense, long, and predominantly appressed.

(5) Wings hyaline, unlike those of other Chthonolasius, and exceptionally long proportional to the body size (wing length exceeding 4.5 mm.).

(6) Body uniformly medium brown, appendages yellowish brown.

Male
Wilson (1955) - (1) Lateral profile of petiole as in worker; in frontal view the dorsal margin is flat to feebly emarginate.

(2) Size small for Chthonolasius; HW of single specimen measured 0.83 mm,

(3) Mandibles with numerous irregular denticles along the entire length of the masticatory border.

(4) Moderately long hairs (not exceeding 0.13 mm. in length) abundant over the entire body, including the gular surface and all of the cephalic margin posterior to the eyes. The hairs of the head and alitrunk predominantly subereet-erect, those on the gaster predominantly decumbent. Scapes and tibiae lacking outstanding pilosity; the femora with fairly numerous short standing hairs.

(5) Subgenital plate of the single male dissected differing from that of other Chthonolasius in having a relatively straight posterior border, the posterolateral corners not projecting posteriorly. The median posterior setiferous area feebly convex and bearing 6 irregularly placed hairs. The cuspis of the volsella unusually thick, its greatest width exceeding the greatest width of the digitus.

Type Material
Wilson (1955) - HOLOTYPE. The unique type is in the Mayr Collection.