Lasius (Lasius) platythorax Seifert 1991

Schifani, Enrico, Csősz, SÁndor, Viviano, Roberto & Alicata, Antonio, 2021, Ant diversity on the largest Mediterranean islands: on the presence or absence of 28 species in Sicily (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Natural History Sciences 8 (1), pp. 55-70 : 57-58

3. Lasius (Lasius) platythorax Seifert 1991

This species was separated from L. niger (Linnaeus 1758) by Seifert (1991), and closely resembles the W Mediterranean L. grandis Forel 1909 (Seifert, 1992; 2020a). Lasius platythorax looks rare in Sicily that could be the southernmost limit of its range. The distribution of L. platythorax in Sicily, and Italy as well, has still to be carefully investigated because of its close resemblance to L. niger , whose pre-1991 records surely included either species. The few known published records of L. platythorax show it is widespread in Italy, including Calabria and Sardinia (Seifert, 1992; 2020a; Rigato & Toni, 2011). The ecological requirements of L. platythorax have mostly been documented from Central Europe , but its habitat preferences in the Mediterranean region are little-known (Seifert, 2018).

Examined material ( Fig. 2 g-h)

Trapani province : Monte Cofano (northern slope), mixed forest, 02.03.1994, A. Alicata legit, AAC. Monte Inici, Quercus ilex forest, 37.995989, 12.854347, 1000 m asl, 22.1.1996, A. Alicata legit, AAC .

Messina province : Torrente Saracena , contrada Chiusitta, Nebrodi, 37.926717, 14.819856, 1400 m asl, 17.04.1993, A. Alicata legit, AAC .

Figures

Fig. 2 - a-d) Camponotus ruber. a-b) major worker / operaia maggiore; c-d) minor worker / operaia minore. Monte Pellegrino. Scale bar / scala grafica: 1 mm (ESC). e-f) Lasius myops. Worker / operaia. Pineta di Linguaglossa.Scale bar / scala grafica: 0.5 mm (AAC). g-h) Lasius platythorax. Worker / operaia. Monte Cofano. Scale bar / scala grafica: 0.5 mm (AAC).