Lasius emarginatus is a species of boreal formicine ants native to western Eurasia. It has gained notoriety as the invasive ManhattAnt in the United States.
| Lasius emarginatus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Lasius |
| Species: | L. emarginatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1792)
| |
Description
editLasius emarginatus is a small ant, reaching 3–5.5 mm in the workers, 7–10 mm in the females and 7–14.5 mm in males. In workers and females, the thorax is reddish or brownish-red, while the head and the abdomen are brown. Males are completely brown.[1]
A queen may live for 30 years, but for workers, lifespan is limited to three years. The species is omnivorous. They are not aggressive but do not mind attacking a potential predator or another colony to expand their hunting and harvesting territory.[citation needed]
Distribution
editThis species is present in the Western Palearctic (Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia Minor).[citation needed] As an invasive species, it is now found in Manhattan where it has taken on the niche of above-ground-level floors in taller buildings.[2]
ManhattAnt
editA May 2024 report published in Biological Invasions details the rapid spread of the so-called "ManhattAnt" since its initial appearance in New York City in 2011. Lasius emarginatus has become a dominant urban pest despite its relatively minor role in its native habitat. This invasive species is expanding its territory at an estimated rate of approximately one mile per year, raising concerns among researchers about potential ecological disruptions across the East Coast.[3]
Colony founding
editThe nuptial flight happens between June and August. Although normal independent colony foundation is usual, it can also be achieved through pleometrosis, a process in which several queens work together to start the colony. Eventually, the future workers will kill or drive away all queens but the dominant one.
References
edit- ^ "Species Lasius emarginatus". Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "In N.Y.C. Apartments, the Ants Go Marching Up" by Dodai Stewart, the New York Times. 10 July 2022. Accessed 10 July 2022.
- ^ Greenfieldboyce, Nell (14 August 2024). "Meet the ManhattAnt, the ant that's taken New York's streets by storm". NPR. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- Olivier, 1792 : Encyclopédie Méthodique. Histoire Naturelle, ou Histoire Naturelle des Crustacés, des Arachnides et des Insectes]
- Fauna Europaea
External links
edit
Media related to Lasius emarginatus at Wikimedia Commons
