Lasius

Strangers garden ant ( Lasius alienus )

The garden ants ( Lasius ) are a genus of ants ( Formicidae ) of the subfamily of ants scales ( Formicinae ). They occur in holarctic distribution with secure over 100 species that live in the Palaearctic region, with approximately 60 species, which are divided into five subgenera: Real garden ants ( Lasius sensu stricto ), Cautolasius, Dendrolasius, Austrolasius and Chtonolasius. Only the real garden ants and Cautolasius are for independent colony founding capable, the other three subgenera are temporary social parasites.

5.1 Notes and references
5.2 Literature

Features

The representatives of garden ants belong to the rather small ants in Central Europe. The front part of the mesosoma to the propodeum is very short and stocky. The workers of this species often have only weak point eyes ( ocelli ), also are the scourges of the sensor is shorter than about in the wood ant (Formica ).

Way of life

Garden ants make less demands on their environment than wood ants and many species are widespread in Central Europe. Their diet consists mostly largely of honeydew secretions of aphids.

Evolution

Species that are today the genus Lasius assigns, for example, the recent Black garden ant ( Lasius niger) confusingly similar Lasius schifferdeckeri, was formed in the Eocene, about 40-50 million years ago as Inklusenfunde in Baltic amber show.

System

The following types are represented in Central Europe (selection):

Subgenus True garden ants ( Lasius sensu stricto ) Brown garden ant ( Lasius brunneus ) ( Latreille, 1798)
Strangers garden ant ( Lasius alienus ) ( Förster, 1850)
Black garden ant ( Lasius niger) (Linnaeus, 1758)
Forgotten garden ant ( Lasius neglectus ) Van Loon, Boomsma & Andrasfalvy, 1990
Two- garden ant ( Lasius emarginatus ) ( Oliver, 1792)
Lasius paralienus Seifert, 1992
Lasius platythorax Seifert, 1991
Lasius psammophilus Seifert, 1992
Lasius austriacus Schlick -Steiner, Steiner, Schödl and Seifert, 2003