HISTORY

  • The species was described in 1990 (Van Loon et al. 1990) although its presence in the garden of the Company for the Development of Fruit and Ornamental Production at Budapest was already known from the early seventies (Andrásfalvy, in litt.). In the morphological description it was compared with Lasius alienus and L. brunneus. Furthermore, it was shown to be allozymatically distinct (Boomsma et al. 1990). Lasius turcicus is the sister species of L. neglectus (Steiner et al. 2004).

  • Its specific status was temporally not clear-cut (Seifert 1992) although at present this seems to be undisputed.

MORPHOLOGY

The species belongs in a group of Lasius that lack erect hairs on the scapes and on the extensor profile of hind tibiae. Mandibular dentition is reduced (seven denticles; rarely eight) as compared with L. lasioides, L. alienus, L. psammophilus, L. paralienus or L. piliferus although this is a difference of statistical character.

Worker
lateral view head frontal view mandible
lateral view head frontal view   mandible

Female: Immediately recognizable within the European Lasius by its comparatively reduced size and proportionately smaller gaster, as compared with the thorax. Male: The smallest male within the European Lasius (s.str.) species.

Female frontal view Cocoons of queens
Female frontal view Cocoons of queens  Male frontal view

 


Page authors: Xavier Espadaler  (Xavier.Espadaler@uab.es) and Víctor Bernal (v.bernal@creaf.uab.es).