[Lasius niger s.l.]
(small black ants)

Subtaxon Example images Rank Featured
subtaxa		 No of
images		 No of
ID refs
Lasius niger
Small Black Ant
(Click to open)
 		Species 32 images 2 ident. refs
Lasius platythorax
a small black ant
(Click to open)
 		Species 4 images 2 ident. refs
Taxonomic hierarchy:
Informal[Lasius niger s.l.] (small black ants)
GenusLasius (a genus of ants)
SubfamilyFORMICINAE (a subfamily of hymenopterans)
FamilyFORMICIDAE (ants)
SuperfamilyVESPOIDEA (wasps)
InfraorderAculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of [Lasius niger s.l.] (small black ants) :
1: [Lasius niger s.l.] (small black ants)
14 Jul 1971 OSGR: TQ20 50° 50’ N, 0° 10’ W Vice County: East Sussex (VC 14) England
Black Ants’ nest (Lasius subgenus Lasius) opened up
Image 1: Black ants\' nestImage 2: Black ants\' nest - close-up

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Lush, M. Separating Lasius niger and Lasius platythorax workers sifolinia.blogspot.com/2008/09/separating-lasius-niger-and-lasius.html
Seiffert, B. 1991 Lasius platythorax n. sp., a Widespread Sibling Species of Lasius niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Entomol. Gener. Vol 16(1): 69-81.

[Lasius niger s.l.] (small black ants) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for [Lasius niger s.l.] (small black ants)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 12 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for [Lasius niger s.l.] (small black ants)

Has recently been split into two spp: Lasius niger ss. and Lasius platythorax. The queens are distinct, with platythorax having a less deep alitrunk, noticeably less than the gaster, where L. niger has both parts of similar depth. There are minor differences in hair lengths in the workers.

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