The Ants of the Genus Lasius (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Late Eocene European Ambers

The Ants of the GenusLasius(Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Late Eocene European Ambers Finds of the genusLasiusFabricius in the Baltic, Bitterfeldian, Rovno, and Scandinavian Ambers (Late Eocene) are revised. Neotypes ofL. pumilusMayr, 1868 andL. punctulatusMayr, 1868 are designated. A key to workers and gynes ofLasiusspecies from the Late Eocene European ambers is compiled. AllLasiusspecies from these ambers belong to the subgenusLasiuss. str.L. schiefferdeckeriMayr, 1868 is one of most abundant ant species in the Late Eocene European ambers: it consists 15.2-19.5% of all ant specimens in Baltic Amber, 24.5% in Bitterfeldian Amber, 23.8% in Rovno Amber, and 23.6% in Scandinavian Amber of the examined collections. Based on the features of fossilization of this species, it is possible to assume that at least in part it constructed arboreal nests and made roads to aphids' colonies. The list of nine ant species found in syninclusions withL. schiefferdeckeriis provided.