Prolasius

Prolasius
Prolasius advena
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Melophorini
Genus:	Prolasius Forel, 1892
Type species
Formica advena, now Prolasius advena
Diversity
20 species (Species Checklist) Prolasius advena Specimen Label

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.

Identification

• Key to Afrotropical Proceratium species groups

Biology

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Castes

Worker of P. nitidissimus from Tasmania.

Morphology

Worker Morphology

 • Antennal segment count 12 • Antennal club gradual • Palp formula 6,4 • Total dental count 5-6 • Spur formula 1 simple, 1 simple • Eyes present • Scrobes absent • Sting absent (from literature)

Nomenclature

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

• PROLASIUS [Formicinae: Lasiini]
  • Prolasius Forel, 1892c: 331 [as subgenus of Lasius]. Type-species: Formica advena, by monotypy.
  • Prolasius subgenus of Lasius: Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 143.
  • Prolasius subgenus of Melophorus: Forel, 1917: 248; Emery, 1925b: 13.
  • Prolasius raised to genus: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 695; Clark, 1934c: 66; Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71.

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 PDF (page 296, Prolasius in Formicinae, Lasius genus group)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 99, Prolasius in Formicinae, Lasiini)
• Clark, J. 1934c. Ants from the Otway Ranges. Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 8: 48-73 (page 66, Prolasius as genus)
• Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 181, Prolasius as subgenus of Lasius)
• 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 687, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 13, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as subgenus of Melophorus)
• Forel, A. 1892c. Die Ameisen Neu-Seelands. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 8: 331-343 (page 331, Prolasius as subgenus of Lasius)
• Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 248, Prolasius in Camponotinae, Meloporini; Prolasius as subgenus of Melophorus)
• McAreavey, J. 1947. New species of the genera Prolasius Forel and Melophorus Lubbock (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 15: 7-27 (page 9, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as genus)
• Taylor, R. W.; Brown, D. R. 1985. Formicoidea. Zool. Cat. Aust. 2:1- 149: 1-149, 30 (page 142, Prolasius as genus)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 143, Prolasius as subgenus of Lasius)
• 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, Prolasius as genus; Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1935c. Myrmecological notes. Psyche (Camb.) 42: 68-72 (page 71, Prolasius in Formicinae, Melophorini; Prolasius as genus)