Lasius niger

Distribution
This taxon was described from Europe.

Nomenclature

 *  niger. Formica nigra Linnaeus, 1758: 580 (w.) EUROPE. Latreille, 1798: 43 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 148 (l.); Hauschteck, 1962: 219 (k.); Imai & Kubota, 1972: 196 (k.). Combination in Lasius: Fabricius, 1804: 415; in Donisthorpea: Donisthorpe, 1915d: 200; in Formicina (Donisthorpea): Emery, 1916b: 240; in Acanthomyops: Forel, 1916: 460; in Lasius: Menozzi, 1921: 32; Müller, 1923: 124; Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929a: 26; Wilson, 1955a: 59. Senior synonym of pallescens: Mayr, 1861: 49; of nigerrima: Emery, 1892b: 162; of alienoniger, emeryi, nitidus, minimus, transylvanica and material of the unavailable name pilicornis referred here: Wilson, 1955a: 59; of alienoniger: Kutter, 1977c: 14. Current subspecies: nominal plus pinetorum. See also: Imai, 1966: 119; Tarbinsky, 1976: 134; Kutter, 1977c: 227; Yamauchi, 1979: 152; Collingwood, 1982: 287; Kupyanskaya, 1990: 219; Seifert, 1992b: 27.
 * nigerrima. Formica nigerrima Christ, 1791: 513 (w.) no locality given. Junior synonym of niger: Emery, 1892b: 162.
 * pallescens. Formica pallescens Schenck, 1852: 55 (q.m.) GERMANY. Junior synonym of niger: Mayr, 1861: 49.
 * alienoniger. Lasius niger var. alienoniger Forel, 1874: 47 (w.q.) SWITZERLAND. Subspecies of niger: Finzi, 1924a: 14; Stärcke, 1944a: 154. Raised to species: Röszler, 1943: 44. Junior synonym of niger: Wilson, 1955a: 59; Kutter, 1977c: 14. Unrecognisable taxon, incertae sedis in Lasius: Seifert, 1992b: 48.
 * emeryi. Lasius niger subsp. emeryi Ruzsky, 1905b: 313 (w.) RUSSIA. Junior synonym of niger: Wilson, 1955a: 59. Unrecognisable taxon, incertae sedis in Lasius: Seifert, 1992b: 48.
 * nitidus. Acanthomyops niger subsp. nitidus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1927e: 188 (w.) KAZAKHSTAN. Junior synonym of niger: Wilson, 1955a: 59. Unrecognisable taxon, incertae sedis in Lasius: Seifert, 1992b: 48.
 * minimus. Acanthomyops niger var. minimus Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1928b: 20 (w.) RUSSIA. Combination in Lasius: Kuznetsov-Ugamsky, 1929a: 26. Junior synonym of niger: Wilson, 1955a: 59. Unrecognisable taxon, incertae sedis in Lasius: Seifert, 1992b: 48.
 * transylvanica. Lasius transylvanica Röszler, 1943: 44 (w.q.m.) ROMANIA. Junior synonym of niger: Wilson, 1955a: 60. Unrecognisable taxon, incertae sedis in Lasius: Seifert, 1992b: 48.

Additional References

 * Morrison, W.R. & Witte, V. 2011. Strong differences in chemical recognition cues between two closely related species of ants from the genus Lasius (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 24: 2389–2397 (doi: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02364.x).