Lasius chinensis

Found at river banks, in open forest and in parks. It regularly occurs in concrete-sealed city centers provided there are few trees or some greenery. It is obviously a eurypotent species with a niche comparable to Lasius niger. (Seifert 2020)

Identification
Seifert (2020) - A western parapatric sibling species of Lasius japonicus. The contact zone of both species seems to be between 116 and 117° E, from about Beijing south to Shangdong, with syntopic occurrence of both species observed in one locality. The sister-species relation to L. japonicus is indicated by highly similar shape characters. The morphological separation from the latter is mainly given by the more profuse pilosity.

Distribution
Seifert (2020) - Only NE China; from E Qinghai (36.6°N, 101.7°E) east to Shangdon (36.4°N, 117.4°N), The most southern and northern known sites are Chengdu (30.64°N, 104.05°E) and Yong Deng (36.7°N, 103.3°E). The altitudinal distribution ranges from 370 in Shaanxi to 3500 m in E Tibet.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: China.

Nomenclature

 * . Lasius chinensis Seifert, 2020: 64, figs. 55-56 (w.) CHINA.

Worker
Medium-sized (CS 965 µm). Scape and maxillary palp length indices and torulo-clypeal distance large (SL/CS900 1.017, MP6/CS900 0.199, dClAn/CS900 5.63). Postocular distance and eye size medium (PoOc/CL900 0.237, EYE/ CS900 0.240). Number of mandibular dents medium (MaDe900 8.33). Pubescence on clypeus moderately dense (sqPDCL900 4.14). All body parts with very numerous and long standing setae (nOcc900 21.6, nGu900 17.0, nSc900 26.2, PnHL/CS900 0.159, GuHL/CS900 0.121). Coloration: dark to blackish brown; antennal funiculus, tibio-femoral joint regions, tarsae and metatarsae, and anterior clypeal border paler with a yellowish tinge.

See table 6 in Seifert 2020 for additional morphometrics. The abbreviated names of various quantitative data shown above are defined here: Seifert 2020 Lasius characters.

Type Material
Holotype labelled ”CHI: 36.0489°N, 103.8566°E Lanshou, 1522 m Universitätspark Seifert 2011.08.07-87“; 2 paratype workers from the holotype nest sample on another pin, 3 paratype workers from the same sample in ethanol; depository.

Etymology
The name refers to the terra typica China.