Lasius lawarai

Nothing is known about this species beyond the type collection. The type locality, Lawarai Pass (2700m) is in the Hindu Raj Mountains in northern Pakistan. It is unclear what vegetation/habitat was present where the types were collected. Proceeding up in elevation to the pass (3118m), there is likely a typical vegetative change from forest through different kinds of open habitat types. This area is undergoing rapid environmental change (see Haq et al. 2019).

Distribution
Seifert (2020) - Known from the SW flank of the Himalayas at elevations between 2300 and 3100 m, along a line delimited by 35.8°N, 71.8°E and 30.8°N, 77.8°E.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India, Pakistan.

Nomenclature

 * . Lasius (Lasius) lawarai Seifert, 1992b: 38, fig. 28 (w.) PAKISTAN.
 * Senior synonym of breviscapus: Seifert, 2020: 74.
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 223; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 27; Seifert, 2020: 74.
 * breviscapus. Lasius (Lasius) breviscapus Seifert, 1992b: 24, fig. 17 (w.) INDIA (Himachal Pradesh).
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 222; Bharti & Gul, 2013: 57 (in key); Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 27.
 * Junior synonym of lawarai: Seifert, 2020: 74.

Worker
Seifert (1992): Head: mandibles with 8 to 10 teeth (8.82 + 0.60, n = 1 1). Clypeal carina relatively blunt and incomplete, in lateral profile convex. Head long, scape relatively short; HL/HW (900) 1.104, SL/HL(900) 0.918. Mesosoma: propodeal dome normally conic, angulate in lateral view and lower than mesonotum; mesonotum higher and more vaulted than usual in the subgenus. Posteroventral sides of pronotum without pubescence and brilliantly shining. Surface between propodeal spiracle and opening of the metapleural gland with only 1-5 fine setae the longest of which measure 56.8 + 10.5 μm (46-84 μm, n = 20). Scale : with slightly convex, dorsad more or less converging sides and a straight dorsal crest which is never clearly emarginate; in lateral view with convex anterior and straight posterior profile. Scape: pubescence rough, 25-35°, difficult to separate from the smaller setae; setae 25-65°, max. 42 μm (majority 25-45° and projecting ± 20 (μm). Hind tibia: pubescence rough, 10-30°, difficult to separate from the smaller setae; setae relatively few, mainly at proximal profile, 20-75°, max. 56 μm.

Surface characters: pubescence of frontal head relatively short (26.9 + 2.0 μm), 20-30° and rather dense. Microreticulum always clearly visible, the surfaces between the microrugae brilliantly shining. Micropunctures at base of pubescence hairs always visible (3-5 μm diameter, 10-16 μm central distance). Frontal pronotum with a transverse microrugosity and very shining interspaces. Colour: frons and occiput dark to blackish brown, genae and clypeus lighter with yellowish tinge, antennae and mandibles yellowish; mesosoma pale yellowish brown to dark brown, gaster blackish brown.

Measurements (n = 19): HL 863.1 ± 48.4, HL/HW 1.1104 ± 0.0230, SL/HL 0.9228 +0.0176, CLCA 0.53 + 0.22, PDCL 19.25 + 5.06, nHS 12.42 + 5.90, nHHT 7.21 + 3.17, nBH 9.29 ± 2.85, nUH 3.24 + 1.46, UHL/HL 0.1049 + 0.0113, PNHL/HL 0.1459 ± 0.0127.

Seifert (2020) - Within the Himalayan-Tibetan species of the subgenus, the species is well separable by the combination of small eyes (EYE/CS900 0.214), large postocular index (PoOc/ CL900 0.261) and short scape (SL/CS900 0.948). Seta counts (those of nSc and nHT in particular) are weakly reproducible because of unclear thickness differences between elongated pubescence hairs and setae. A frequent coloration is head, mesosoma petiole and gaster dark brown; mandibles, antennae, tibiae and tarsae light yellowish brown.

See table 9 in Seifert 2020 for additional morphometrics. The abbreviated names of various quantitative data shown above are defined here: Seifert 2020 Lasius characters.

Type Material
Seifert (2020) - Holotype and 5 paratype workers labelled ”PAKISTAN. Dir, Lawarai-Pass 21e, 2700 m; 21. v. 1983 Besuchet-Löbl“; depositories:, 2 paratypes in.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bharti H. 2011. List of Indian ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Halteres 3: 79-87.
 * Rasheed M. T., I. Bodlah, A. G. Fareen, A. A. Wachkoo, X. Huang, and S. A. Akbar. 2019. A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Pakistan. Sociobiology 66(3): 426-439.
 * Seifert B. 1992. A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the ant subgenus Lasius s.str. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Abhandlungen und Berichte des Naturkundemuseums Görlitz 66(5): 1-67.