Lasius fuliginosus

Lasius fuliginosus
Lasius fuliginosus worker
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Genus: Lasius
Species: L. fuliginosus
Binomial name
Lasius fuliginosus
(Latreille, 1798)

Lasius fuliginosus is a species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae (family Formicidae). Workers have a black shiny colour and a length of about 3–5 mm, females are larger (7–9 mm) and small males reach a length of 3–4 mm). The head is heart-shaped.

Distribution

The species is found from Europe to Central Siberia.

Environment

The species builds a "cardboard" nest in old hollow trees, using "board" – a mixture of chewed wood with saliva. They tend populations of aphids for their honeydew. Adults of the family can have multiple queens.

New post-nuptial queens of the species establish nests through social parasitism in other species of its genus. They invade a nest of the other species, kill or oust the existing queen, and lay eggs, which the existing workers tend. Her offspring workers slowly take over the nest.

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