Manhattant
Guides
Lasius emarginatus
ManhattAnt, Central European Bicolored Ant
Lasius emarginatus is a small formicine ant native to western Eurasia that has become a notable invasive species in North America. First discovered in New York City in 2011, it earned the nickname "ManhattAnt" and has since become one of the most common ants in the city, spreading at approximately 2 km per year into New Jersey and Long Island. Workers are distinguished by their reddish-brown thorax contrasting with darker brown head and abdomen. The species is increasingly reported as an indoor pest and forms mutualisms with honeydew-producing insects on street trees. Unlike many invasive ants, it does not display supercolonial behavior.