Lasiophanes

Lasiophanes is a small genus of six described species that are endemic of Patagonia(Argentina and Chile) that is related to Lasius of the Northern Hemisphere and Melophorus of Australia and New Zealand.

Lasiophanes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Melophorini
Genus:	Lasiophanes Emery, 1895
Type species
Formica nigriventris, see Lasiophanes atriventris
Diversity
6 species (Species Checklist) Specimen Labels

Evolutionary Relationships

Formicinae Myrmelachistini   (2 genera) Lasiini   (10 genera) Melophorini Melophorus   (92 species) Stigmacros   (48 species) Myrmecorhynchus   (3 species) Lasiophanes   (6 species) Notostigma   (2 species) Notoncus   (6 species) Pseudonotoncus   (2 species) Prolasius   (20 species) Teratomyrmex   (3 species) Formicini   (8 genera) Gesomyrmex, Oecophylla Plagiolepidini   (9 genera) Gigantiops, Myrmoteras, Santschiella Camponotini   (8 genera)

Based on Ward et al. 2016.

 

Morphology

Worker Morphology

 • Antennal segment count 12 • Antennal club gradual • Palp formula 6,4 • Total dental count 6-8 • Spur formula 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes present • Scrobes absent • Sting absent

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.

• LASIOPHANES [Formicinae: Lasiini]
  • Lasiophanes Emery, 1895i: 16 [as subgenus of Melophorus]. Type-species: Formica nigriventris (junior primary homonym in Formica; Formica atriventris first available replacement name), by subsequent designation of Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 165.
  • Lasiophanes subgenus of Melophorus: Emery, 1922a: 90; Emery, 1925b: 12.
  • Lasiophanes raised to genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 695; Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71; retained as genus: Kusnezov, 1952c: 90; Kusnezov, 1956: 31; Kempf, 1972a: 128; Snelling, R.R. & Hunt, 1976: 104.

References

• Agosti, D. 1991. Revision of the oriental ant genus Cladomyrma, with an outline of the higher classification of the Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 16: 293-310 (page 295, Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Formica genus group)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 96, Lasiophanes as genus; in Formicinae, Lasiini)
• Donisthorpe, H. 1943g. A list of the type-species of the genera and subgenera of the Formicidae. [part]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 11(10): 617-688 (page 655, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1895k. Deuxième note sur les fourmis du Chili. Actes Soc. Sci. Chili 5: 10-18 (page 16, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1922g. Le specie americane del genere Melophorus (Lasiophanes). Rend. Sess. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna Cl. Sci. Fis. (n.s.) 26: 90-95 (page 90, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 12, Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Melophorini; Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Fergani, P., Sackmann, P., Cuezzo, F. 2008. Environmental determinants of the distribution and abundance of the ants, Lasiophanes picinus and L. valdiviensis, in Argentina. 16pp. Journal of Insect Science, 8:36, available online: insectscience.org/8.36 PDF
• Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 248, Lasiophanes in Camponotinae, Melophorini; Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 128, Lasiophanes as genus)
• Kusnezov, N. 1952e [1951]. Lasiophanes Emery en la Patagonia. Acta Zool. Lilloana 12: 89-100 (page 90, Lasiophanes as genus)
• Kusnezov, N. 1956a. Claves para la identificación de las hormigas de la fauna argentina. Idia 104- 105: 1-56 (page 31, Lasiophanes as genus)
• Snelling, R. R.; Hunt, J. H. 1975. The ants of Chile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Chil. Entomol. 9: 63-129 (page 104, Key to species; Lasiophanes as genus)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 143, Lasiophanes as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1911g. A list of the type species of the genera and subgenera of Formicidae. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 21: 157-175 (page 165, Type species: Formica nigriventris (junior primary homonym in Formica: Lasiophanes atriventris first available replacement name), by subsequent designation)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 695, Lasiophanes raised to genus; Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Melophorini)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1935c. Myrmecological notes. Psyche (Camb.) 42: 68-72 (page 70, Lasiophanes in Formicinae, Melophorini; Lasiophanes as genus)