''Lasius alienus'', or cornfield ant,
is a species of
ant in the subfamily
Formicinae (family
Formicidae). Workers have a length of about 2–4 mm, Queens are larger (7–9 mm).
Distribution
They live in
Europe, from
Spain to the
Caucasus; populations in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
are now considered to be a separate species, ''
Lasius americanus''.
Genetics
Genome type ''Lasius alienus'': 0,31 m (C value)
[Tsutsui, ND, AV Suarez, J.C. Spagna, and J.S. Johnston (2008). The evolution of genome size in ants. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8: 64.]
Mutualism
The butterfly ''
Plebejus argus
The silver-studded blue (''Plebejus argus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It has bright blue wings rimmed in black with white edges and silver spots on its hindwings, lending it the name of the silver-studded blue. ''P. argus'' can ...
'' lays eggs near nests of the ant ''L. alienus'', forming a mutualistic relationship.
This mutualistic relationship benefits the adult butterfly by reducing the need for parental investment.
Once the eggs hatch, the ants chaperone the larvae, averting the attacks of predatory organisms like wasps and spiders as well as parasites. In return, the ants receive a saccharine secretion fortified with amino acids from an eversible gland on the larvae's back.
As first instar larvae prepare to pupate, the ants carry the larvae into their nests.
Once the larvae become pupae, the ants continue to provide protection against predation and parasitism.
References
*Seifert, B. (1992). ''A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic members of the ant subgenus Lasius s. str.'' (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Abhand. Be. Naturkundemus. Goerlitz 66 (5): 1-66.
*Wilson, E. O. (1955). ''A monographic revision of the ant genus Lasius'', Ph.D. dissert., Harvard University, 105 p.
External links
*
alienus
''Alienus curiosus'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are character ...
Hymenoptera of Europe
Insects described in 1850
Taxa named by Thomas Ignatius Maria Forster
{{formicinae-stub