Lasius koreanus Seifert 1992

Seifert, Bernhard, 2020, A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the subgenus Lasius s. str. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Soil Organisms 92 (1), pp. 15-86 : 78-79

4.4.55 Lasius koreanus Seifert 1992

Lasius koreanus Seifert 1992 [type investigation]

Type material: Holotype worker labelled ” Korea, Kaesong, Mts. Pakyon, 20 km NE from Kaesong, 30. Sept. 1971.“, ”No 254, leg. S. Horvatovich et J. Papp“; 5 paratype workers on separate pins labelled ” North Korea Paekdusan 1.- 18.8. 1989 Kozánek lgt.“; depository SMN Görlitz.

All material examined. A total of 5 nest samples with 9 workers were subject to NUMOBAT investigation. These originated from North Korea. For details see supplementary information SI1.

Geographic range. Only known so far from North Korea between 38.1 and 40.9°N and elevations between 10 and 1700 m.

Biology. Largely unknown. Alates were collected between 6 and 23 August.

Diagnosis ( Tab. 10 , Figs. 105 –106; key; image in www. antWeb.org with specimen identifiers CASENT0912292 and FOCOL 0750):

Small size (CS 819 µm). Head moderately elongated and scape shorter than in other East Asian species (CL/ CW 900 1.085, SL/CS 900 0.956). Postocular distance rather small and eye rather large (PoOc/CL 900 0.236, EYE/ CS 900 0.252). Torulo-clypeal distance small (dClAn 900 4.38). Terminal segment of maxillary palp long (MP6/ CS 900 0.201). Pubescence on clypeus moderately dense (sqPDCL 900 4.57); frontal pubescence rather short (PLF 900 27.0). Gular and pronotal setae of medium length (GuHL/ CS 900 0.103, PnHL/CS 900 0.137); overall setae numbers rather low (nOcc 900 11.9, nGen 900 1.1, nGu 900 4.9, nSc 900 2.6, nHT 900 13.0, nSt 900 4.8). Microsculpture on head and mesosoma more strongly developed than in other species. Microsculpture between the frontal carinae rather deep, with the margins of meshes developed as elevated ridges and their inner part developed as a rather deep foveola which centrally carries the base of a pubescence hair; short fragments of microcarinulae are irregularly dispersed over the surface. Lateral metapleuron and lower lateral propodeum densely longitudinally carinulate. Coloration: variable; head brown to dark reddish brown, mesosoma medium brown to light reddish brown, gaster varying between dark reddish brown and blackish brown.

Comments: Forming a combination of small size, short scape, large eyes and particular microsculpture, Lasius koreanus should not be confused with any other species.

Figures

Figs. 105 and 106: Lasius koreanus; holotype, CASENT0912292, photo Z. Lieberman