|
MORPHOLOGY
The ant responsible
for this new infestation, Lasius brunneus (Latreille), has
bicoloured workers in which the blackish gaster contrasts with
the brown colour of the head and the thorax. Length of workers
is variable, from 2 mm to 4 mm.
|
Worker |
|
 |
 |
|
lateral view |
head frontal
view |
|
Queen |
|
 |
|
queen taken
care of by her workers. This is the first queen found in
Spain. |
The workers of Lasius brunneus
are readily differentiated from those of
other ants that nest in cork.
Crematogaster scutellaris, that also causes damage to young cork-oaks,
is bigger (3.5 - 5 mm) and has a red head. When disturbed,
workers raise the abdomen. Camponotus fallax (Nylander) is even
larger and is completely dark in colour. Another ant species
that can also be present in the cork–oak, and with which it
could easily be confused, is
Lasius
lasioides,
smaller in size and usually of more uniform body colour. In
Catalonia these two species have a different ecology when
nesting in cork-oak: Lasius brunneus is found at higher altitudes
and in zones with lower temperatures and greater precipitation. |
