# Turfgrass Ant

*Lasius neoniger*

A single colony can construct dozens of interconnected entrance mounds across a lawn, often tending herds of subterranean root aphids underground.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Formicidae › Lasius
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Open, sun-exposed soils including meadows, lawns, pastures, golf courses, and roadsides
- **Diet:** Honeydew excreted by aphids and root mealybugs, floral nectar, and small dead insects
- **Range:** United States, Canada, Mexico
- **Size:** Workers 2–2.5 mm; Queens 7–9 mm
- **Lifespan:** Workers: 6–12 months; Queens: 10–15 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Broad-spectrum chemical insecticides applied to turfgrass and agricultural land
- **Safe to approach?:** Turfgrass ants are harmless to humans. They lack a functional sting and are too small to deliver an effective bite through human skin. No precautions or medical treatments are necessary if contact occurs; simply brush them away and wash the skin with soap and water.

## About

Lasius neoniger , also known as the turfgrass ant , Labour day ant , cornfield ant or nuisance ant , is a species of ant in the genus Lasius . Found in North America, the species is common in the eastern United States and Canada, though they can be found all over the continent. They are usually light brown in color, with a slightly darker head.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/ebd167f0-92ee-4e90-9338-6334d4244d35
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/69311
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasius_neoniger
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/57582523/medium.jpg (Robert Webster, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.