Lasius murphyi

Forel, 1901

Murphy's Citronella Ant

Lasius murphyi is a of citronella to the United States and Canada. It belongs to a known for producing a lemon-scented defensive compound called citronellal. Like other Lasius species, it likely engages in mutualistic relationships with and other , tending them for . The species was described by Auguste Forel in 1901 and has been historically classified under the genus Acanthomyops, which is now treated as a synonym of Lasius.

Lasius murphyi by (c) Even Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Even Dankowicz. Used under a CC-BY license.

Lasius murphyi by (c) Elliott Gordon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Elliott Gordon. Used under a CC-BY license.

Sunlit Workers (434304482) by Matt Reinbold from USA. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lasius murphyi: //ˈlæ.si.əs ˈmɜː.fi.aɪ//

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Identification

Lasius murphyi can be distinguished from other citronella by its North distribution. When winged reproductives are present, the shows the characteristic ant features of , a narrow (-waist), and larger than with few prominent . The are typically yellowish-orange in coloration, consistent with other Lasius species. Accurate identification to species level generally requires examination of microscopic characters and geographic context.

Images

Distribution

to the United States and Canada. Specific range details within North America are not well documented in available sources.

Similar Taxa

Lasius alienusClosely related with which Lasius americanus was synonymized; may be confused due to historical taxonomic uncertainty in the
Lasius americanusFormerly considered a distinct , now in synonymy with L. alienus; historically mentioned in ecological associations with -mimicking
Lasius ponderosaeAnother North Lasius , distinguished by specific mutualistic associations with Satyrium curiosolus in western Canada
Lasius nipponensisAsian with similar , but geographically separated; serves as for Ghilaromma orientalis