Formica lasioides
This record describes Formica lasioides (species). Recorded family: Formicidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Formica neogagates, and F. lasioides, are the only two species in the neogagates group in New England . Both species are very similar, described as uniformly brown, shiny (p. 129, ) and brown-to-black concolorous ants in the key (p. 140, ). Part of the major key character: an ant of open fields = lasioides vs. an ant of forests = neogagates (p.140, ) is unreliable. Antweb (ref. 1) lists meadows and short grass prairie as well as woodlands as common habitats for neogagates; and woodland and forest habitats for lasioides as well as meadows. These two species are best separated by the absence/presence of erect white hairs on the scape: none (rarely 1-2) in neogagates, 3 or more in lasioides ( ). Also, neogagates dorsally has fewer hairs than lasiodes and is often black (The New World Black Ant); lasiodes is often dark brown with many hairs dorsally (The Fuzzy Formica). I doubt these species can be separated (in New England) other than by high-quality close up images. lasioides
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Formicoidea
- Family
- Formicidae (Ants)
- Subfamily
- Formicinae
- Tribe
- Formicini
- Genus
- Formica (Wood ants, mound ants, & field ants)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Formica lasioides Emery, 1893
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Formica lasioides. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Formica lasioides (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Charley Eiseman; Additional contributions by john and jane balaban , Tony-2 , Robert H. Biagi