Lasius silvaticus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Lasius silvaticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Lasius
Section: niger clade
Species group: brunneus
Species complex: brunneus
Species: L. silvaticus
Binomial name
Lasius silvaticus
Seifert, 2020

Lasius silvaticus Holotype worker antweb1041453 p.jpg

Lasius silvaticus Holotype worker antweb1041453 d.jpg

Specimen Labels

Nests have been found in the wood of trees, under stones, in litter and (in a clearcut) in soil.

Identification

Seifert (2020) - Palaearctic Lasius s. str. species belonging to the Lasius brunneus species complex. Lasius brunneus, Lasius silvaticus and Lasius himalayanus are hypothesized here to represent three cryptic species with different geographic distribution.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Seifert (2020) - S Caspian; known from a rather small area between 36.7 and 37.4° N, 54.4 and 55.8°E, and 160 to 900 m a.s.l.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Iran (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
pChart

Seifert (2020) - Habitat selection appears to be similar to its sibling species Lasius brunneus: Seven samples were found in wet and humid Caspian broad-leafed forest and one sample in a city park with trees.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Lasius silvaticus Holotype worker antweb1041453 h.jpgLasius silvaticus Holotype worker antweb1041453 d2.jpgLasius silvaticus Holotype worker antweb1041453 p3.jpgLasius silvaticus Holotype worker antweb1041453 p2.jpg
Holotype of Lasius silvaticusWorker. Specimen code antweb1041453. Photographer Roland Schultz, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by SMNG, Görlitz, Germany.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • silvaticus. Lasius silvaticus Seifert, 2020: 47, figs. 3-4 (w.) IRAN.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Showing all diagnostic characters of the Lasius brunneus species complex. The main difference to L. brunneus is the less sparse and longer pilosity on pronotum (PnHL/ CS900 0.130), underside of head (nGu900 3.6, GuHL/CS900 0.125), propodeum and hind tibia (nHT900 1.6, nSt900 2.9). Accessory differences are the longer head and smaller postocular distance (CL/CW900 1.059, PoOc/CS900 0.235). The coloration is fully comparable to L. brunneus.

See table 1 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 plus 2 paratype workers labelled ”IRAN: 36.7198°N, 54.5813°E, Gorgan 19SE, 853 m, Caspian mild and wet, A.B. Yazdi 2016.06.15 -9“ and ”Holotype (bottom) and paratypes Lasius silvaticus Seifert“; 3 paratype workers ”IRAN: 36.7198°N, 54.5813°E, Gorgan 19SE, 853 m, Caspian mild and wet, A.B. Yazdi 2016.06.15 -24“ and ”Paratypes Lasius silvaticus Seifert“; 3 paratype workers ”IRAN: 37.367°N, 55.817°E, Golestan NP, Galesha canyon, 594 m, forest, nest on tree, Paknia 2007.05.23- 1420“; 3 paratype workers ”IRAN: 37.367°N, 55.817°E, Golestan NP, Galesha canyon, 594 m, forest, nest under stone, Paknia 2007.05.23- 1427“; all material stored in Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz.

Etymology

The species name refers to the woodland habitat.

References