Workers are usually about 3–4 mm.
Fine-art photographic collection
Lasius alienus
A pale-legged field ant associated with dry, open ground.
About this species
Lasius alienus(Foerster, 1850)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Lasius alienus is a small ground-nesting ant recorded across Europe and western Asia. The name belongs to a complex of similar species, so local records benefit from careful identification.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Lasius
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Europe and western AsiaBroad records for the Lasius alienus concept; some populations may belong to closely related species.
Europe and western Asia, especially warmer open regions.
Dry grassland, chalk, dunes, rocky ground and open woodland edge.
Diurnal in warm weather, with workers following trails to honeydew sources.
Honeydew, nectar and small arthropods.
Soil nests are commonly headed by one queen and support modest to large worker populations.
What makes this species remarkable?
The alienus group contains several closely related species distinguishable by fine morphology.
Workers often tend root-feeding aphids below ground.
Colonies can persist in very dry soils if access to subterranean honeydew remains available.