1438 Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico 



Lasius iChthonolasius) helveolus Cook, 1950. Ants of Calif., p. 327. 5 . 

 Lasius (Chthonolasius) helmis Cook, 1950. Ants of Calif., p. 326. 5? . In figs. 



Taxonomy: Cole, 1940. Amer. Midland Nat. 24: 68-69. — Buren, 1944. Iowa State Col., Jour. 

 Sci. 18: 296. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1953. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 46: 152-154 (larva). 

 —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1970. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 63: 651 (larva). 



Biology: Wheeler, 1905. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Bui. 21: 396. — Goswald, 1932. Ztschr. Wiss. 

 Zool. 142: 1-156 (in Germany). —Wesson and Wesson, 1940. Amer. Midland Nat. 24: 100. 

 —Cole, 1942. Amer. Midland Nat. 28: 375. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1944. N. Dak. Hist. 

 Quart. 11: 253. —Wilson, 1955. Harvard Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool., Bui. 113: 126-128. 

 — Waloff, 1957. Insectes Sociaux 4: 391-408 (effect of number of queens on their survival 

 and the development of first brood). —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1963. Ants of N. Dak., pp. 

 189-191. —Gregg, 1963. Ants of Colo., pp. 465-469. — Marikovsky, 1965. Insectes Sociaux 

 12: 63. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1973. Ants of Deep Canyon, p. 117. 

 nearcticus Wheeler. Que., Ont. s. to N. C, Tenn. w. to S. Dak., Wyo., Colo. Ecology: 



Subterranean; prefers dense, moist woodlands here it nests in soil under rocks or fallen 



logs. 

 Formica mellea Provancher, 1881. Nat. Canad. 12: 356. 5 . Preocc. by Say, 1836. 

 LasiiLS flavtts nearcticus Wheeler, 1906. Psyche 13: 38. 5 . 



Taxonomy: Cole, 1940. Amer. Midland Nat. 24: 68, 70. —Buren, 1944. Iowa State Col., Jour. 

 Sci. 18: 296, 297. —Wheeler and Wheeler, 1953. Ent. Soc. Amer., Ann. 46: 151-152 (larva). 

 — Francoeur and Beique, 1966. Canad. Ent. 98: 144 (Provancher types). 



Biology: Wesson and Wesson, 1940. Amer. Midland Nat. 24: 100. — Headley, 1943. Ohio Jour. 

 Sci. 43: 29. —Hicks, 1947. Canad. Ent. 79: 170-171 (imusual nesting site). —Wilson, 1955. 

 Harvard Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool., Bui. 113: 135-136. —Gregg, 1963. Ants of Colo., pp. 

 469-471. 



Genus LASIUS Subgenus CHTHONOLASIUS Ruzsky 



Chthonolasius Ruzsky, 1913. Arch. f. Naturgesch. 79: 59-61. 



Type-species: Formica umbrata Nylander. Desig. by Emery, 1925. 



Ants of this subgenus are more subterranean than those of the subgenus Lasius, and some 

 build large earthen moimds. Food is largely honeydew derived from subterranean plant lice and 

 mealybugs. Some forms are temporary parasites on ants of the subgenus Lasius. 



atopus Cole. Calif. (3 mi. S. Leggett, Mendocino Co.). Ecology: The nest was found in dry soil 

 under a stone in an unshaded area. 

 Lasius (Chthonolasius) atopus Cole, 1958. Tenn. Acad. Sci., Jour. 33: 75-77. 5 . 

 humilis Wheeler. Colo., N. Mex., Nev. Ecology: Colonies were found under stones in moist soil 

 of a meadow and in moist open woods. 

 Lasius (Farmicina) humilis Wheeler, 1917. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci., Proc. 52: 528. 5,9. 



Biology: Gregg, 1963. Ants of Colo., pp. 473^75. 

 minutus Emery. N. S., Maine s. to Va. w. to Minn., Iowa. Ecology: Most often foui.d in 



sphagnum bogs, swampy meadows, or open dry forests. Taken most often in mounds or 

 masonry domes. Some specimens have been associated with L. alienus. 

 Lasius umbratus minutus Emery, 1893. Zool. Jahrb., Abt. f. System. 7: 37, 641. 5, 9, 6. 



Taxonomy: Wheeler, 1910. Psyche 17: 237, 238, 241-242. 



Biology: Gaige, 1914. Univ. Mich., Mus. Zool., Occas. Papers 5: 3, 4, 21, 23. —Wheeler, 1915. 

 Psyche 22: 206. -Morris, 1943. Ind. Acad. Sci., Proc. 52: 215. — WUson, 1955. Harvard 

 Univ., Mus. Comp. Zool., BuL 113: 182. — Kannowski, 1959. Insectes Sociaux 6: 136-138, 

 151-153 (colony founding; possible parasitism on Lasius alienus and L. pallitarsis (= 

 sitkaensis)). —Kannowski, 1959. Ecology 40: 162-165 (radioactive phosphorus in study of 

 colony distribution) 



