Lasius brevicornis
Lasius brevicornis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Formicinae |
Tribe: | Lasiini |
Genus: | Lasius |
Section: | flavus clade |
Species group: | flavus |
Species: | L. brevicornis |
Binomial name | |
Lasius brevicornis Emery, 1893 | |
Synonyms | |
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A common and wide ranging species that exhibits regional variation in its nesting and habitat preferences. In New England, it is a subterranean ant which nests under rocks in open habitats and dry woodlands (Ellison et al., 2012). It is a generalist predator that also tends root aphids and feeds on their honeydew. Mating flights occur in late August and early September.
At a Glance | • Polygynous |
Photo Gallery
Identification
This is a yellow or pale brown species, with a small eye (fewer than 35 ommatidia). The apex of the petiole is either straight or slightly concave. The hairs on the scapes and tibiae are decumbent or appressed (possibly 1 or 2 suberect hairs). The last segment of the maxillary palp is about as long (or shorter) than the penultimate segment. (United States: Mackay and Mackay 2002)
Ellison et al., (2012) - This is one of two New England species of Lasius with very tiny eyes; the other is Lasius nearcticus. These two species nest in distinct habitats – L. flavus in open, dry habitats and L. nearcticus in moist forests – but they can be distinguished reliably only by examining their maxillary palps at 25 – 50× magnification under a dissecting microscope. In L. flavus, the last (terminal) segment of the palp is shorter than the next-to-last (penultimate) segment, whereas in L. nearcticus, the terminal segment of the palp is longer than the penultimate segment.
Keys including this Species
- Key to Lasius Nearctic workers with long maxillary palpi
- Key to New England Lasius
- Key to North American Lasius Species
Distribution
This species is abundant in the eastern United States, but it is rare in the Gulf Coast states. It has been collected occasionally in the northern Rocky Mountains, the Chiricahua Mountains of southeast Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. It is widespread in New England (Ellison et al., 2012).
When know as L. umbratus, it was believed its North America distribution ranged: "east from Nova Scotia south to the Gulf States. Westward, brevicornis is abundant through North Dakota, as evidenced by the large numbers of collections made in many localities in that state by G. C. Wheeler and his students. It appears to be relatively common in the southern Rockies, but sparse to absent over most of the rest of western North America.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 50.077° to 31.89°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: Canada, United States (type locality).
This species has in the recent past been identified as Lasius flavus and various flavus subspecies (L. flavus is Paleartic, not Holarctic Schär et al. 2018).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
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Estimated Abundance
Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
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Biology
Wilson (1955) - Subterranean, nests can be found under stones. I have observed this in several dense populations in the Sierra Nevada of California, and through the eastern U.S. In Ontario and California I watched for signs of activity around L. brevicornis nests at night, but was never rewarded with the sight of a foraging worker. It has been generally assumed that the main food source of this species consists of the secretions of Homoptera maintained in the nests (cf. Eidmann, 1926), but food habits have never been well investigated. Indeed, I have only occasionally found evidence of any food source, including Homoptera, in a number of nests I have excavated, although workers and brood were turned up in abundance. The utilization of some amount of insect food seems likely.
I have seen in nido North American collections of winged forms ranging from July 21 (Penobsquis, New Brunswick) to August 30 (Rochester, New Hampshire).
Regional Notes
New Mexico (Mackay and Mackay 2002) this species nests under stones. Reproductives were found in the nest in mid August. It tends aphids, especially on the roots of grasses. Occurs in grasslands and mixed deciduous forest to ponderosa pine-riparian.
Association with Other Organisms
Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
Nematode
- This species is a host for the nematode Allomermis (sensu Cobb) (a parasite) in Massachusetts, United States (Wheeler, 1928; Laciny, 2021).
Flight Period
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Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
- Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.
Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
Castes
Images from AntWeb
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Worker. Specimen code casent0102802. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- brevicornis. Lasius brevicornis Emery, 1893i: 639, pl. 22, fig. 22 (w.q.m.) U.S.A.
- [Note: type-locality designated as District of Columbia by Creighton, 1950a: 421.]
- Combination in Lasius (Formicina): Wheeler, W.M. 1916k: 172; Wheeler, W.M. 1917i: 463.
- Combination in Lasius (Lasius): Emery, 1925b: 231.
- Junior synonym of flavus: Wilson, 1955a: 112; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1437.
- Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1904e: 305; Wheeler, W.M. 1905f: 396; Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 13; Wheeler, W.M. 1908f: 623; Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 569; Wheeler, W.M. 1916k: 172; Wheeler, W.M. 1916m: 593; Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 526; Wheeler, W.M. 1917i: 463; Emery, 1925b: 231; Smith, M.R. 1930a: 5; Smith, M.R. 1931a: 23; Wheeler, W.M. 1932a: 17; Menozzi, 1932b: 311; Cole, 1936a: 37; Wing, 1939: 164; Wesson, L.G. & Wesson, R.G. 1940: 100; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, E.W. 1944: 252; Buren, 1944a: 296; Creighton, 1950a: 421; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 851; Schar et al., 2018: 6.
- microps. Lasius (Formicina) brevicornis var. microps Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 526 (w.) U.S.A.
- Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1953c: 152 (l.).
- Combination in L. (Chthonolasius): Creighton, 1950a: 422.
- Subspecies of brevicornis: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, E.W. 1944: 253
- Subspecies of flavus: Creighton, 1950a: 422.
- Junior synonym of flavus: Wilson, 1955a: 112.
- Junior synonym of brevicornis: Schar et al., 2018: 6.
- claripennis. Lasius (Formicina) flavus subsp. claripennis Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 527 (w.q.m.) CANADA.
- Junior synonym of microps: Creighton, 1950a: 422.
- Junior synonym of brevicornis: Schar et al., 2018: 6.
- helvus. Lasius helvus Cook, 1953: 326, figs. (w.) U.S.A.
- [Also spelled helveolus, on p. 327.]
- Junior synonym of flavus: Wilson, 1955a: 113.
- Junior synonym of brevicornis: Schar et al., 2018: 6.
Taxonomic Notes
Schar et al. (2018): Lasius brevicornis Emery, 1893 stat. nov. was treated as a full species until it was placed in synonymy with La. flavus by Wilson (1955). This study supports its removal from synonymy and treatment as a full species. The junior synonyms Lasius brevicornis microps Wheeler, 1917, Lasius flavus claripennis Wheeler, 1917 and Lasius helvus Cook, 1953 should be transferred from synonymy with Lasius flavus and treated as junior synonyms of Lasius brevicornis.
Description
References
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References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
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