Ants
Ants are social insects that live in nests made in the soil, under stones or in rotten tree trunks. The most frequently seen ants are the wingless worker ants, which are infertile females. At certain times of year, newly emerged winged males and young queen ants may be seen when they depart their nests to go on mating flights. Ants are yellowish brown, reddish brown or black in colour and range in size from 2-15mm in length, depending on the species and caste.
Species in Britain and Ireland
About 70 species have been recorded in Britain and Ireland, including a number of non-native species that live in buildings or glasshouses. Forty two species are considered to be native to Britain. Many ants have special habitat requirements and only about a dozen species are regularly found in gardens. The most frequently encountered are likely to be the common black ant, Lasius niger, yellow meadow ant, Lasius flavus and a red ant, Myrmica ruginodis. Some ant species are confined to northern Britain but it is the southern counties of England that have the greatest number of ant species, especially where there are well drained sandy or chalky soils.
Lasius niger colony in the base of a plant pot (video: Steve Head)
Worker ants mostly gather food in the form of other insects that are carried back to the nest. Tetramorium caespitum eats seeds, mainly of grasses and heather, which it will gather as a food store in the nest. Other ants also gather certain seeds, such those of violets and gorse, which have oil-rich attachments. Sweet liquids, such as fruit juices and honeydew excreted by aphids, also form an important part of the diet. Ants that have found a good food source will lay down a scent trail so other ants from the nest can locate it.
When threatened, ants will defend themselves and their nests. Worker ants have a sting that will inject poison into the body of an enemy. Some ants, such as the wood ant Formica rufa, can squirt formic acid at their foes. When a nest is under threat, worker ants release an alarm scent or pheromone that rapidly alerts other worker ants to the need to defend the nest.
Life cycle
At certain times of the year, the queen ant will lay eggs that will produce either male ants or young queens. These ants have wings and when conditions are right, the males and young queens emerge from the nest and go off on mating flights. Mating flights in some ant species are triggered by warm humid weather, which can result in simultaneous mass emergences from many nests. After they have been mated, the young queens break off their wings and seek suitable places to establish new nests.
Queen ants lay eggs that hatch into white legless larvae, which are fed with food regurgitated by the worker ants. Unfertilised eggs will produce larvae that develop into male ants. Fertilised eggs will develop into worker ants or young queens, with the latter being fed a richer diet when at the larval stage.
When fully fed, the larvae turn into pupae and later emerge as adult ants. In some species, the pupae are exposed but in others the larva spins a silk cocoon around itself before pupating. These whitish brown cocoons are often mistakenly referred to as ant eggs; real ant eggs are too small to be easily seen.
Role of ants in gardens
Ants rarely cause any significant direct damage to plants. However, they are often regarded as a nuisance in gardens, especially when their nest building activities produce heaps of excavated soil on lawns, or partially bury low-growing plants in the flower beds.
Ants often visit aphids on plants to collect the sweet honeydew that these sap-sucking insects excrete. Aphid predators, such as ladybirds, are likely to be driven off by ants attending the aphids, so aphid infestations may develop more rapidly in the presence of ants. Ants themselves are the prey of many other insects and spiders. Birds such as house martins, swifts and swallows have a feeding bonanza when ant mating fights are taking place.
Top left: Common black ant Lasius niger worker. Top right: yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus.
Bottom left: Lasius niger queen with wings. Bottom right: red ant, Myrmica ruginodis.
Biology
Ant nests are mostly in the soil but some species, such as Lasius brunneus and Lasius fuliginosus, nest in rotten wood, while wood ants, Formica spp nest in large raised mounds of plant debris. Ant nests consist of a series of tunnels and chambers in which the ants live and rear the larvae. Each nest contains one or more queen ants, which are fertile females. Most of the other ants are worker ants, which are wingless, non reproductive females. A strong colony of one of the most common garden ants, Lasius niger, can contain as many as 30,000 ants.
_med_rotbladlus.jpg "Photo: By Arnstein Staverløkk/Norsk institutt for naturforsking - https://artsdatabanken.no/Pages/F14704, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70873652")
Yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus about to "milk" an aphid for honeydew
Other sources of information
Website
Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society -
Richard Becker's guide to common ant species
Books
Bolton, B. & Collingwood, C. A. (1975) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects Vol 6 part 3c. Hymenoptera - Formicidae – out of print but available as a free download here. http://www.royensoc.co.uk/content/out-print-handbooks
Brian, M. V. (1977) Ants Collins New Naturalist series no. 59. Harper Collins
Skinner, G. J. & Allen, G. W. (1996). Naturalists' Handbooks 24 Ants. Richmond Publishing
Bernhard Seifert (2018) The Ants of Central and Northern Europe. Lutra
By Andrew Halstead reviewed by Andrew Salisbury edited by Steve Head
Yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus about to "milk" an aphid for honeydew
Ants
Ants are social insects that live in nests made in the soil, under stones or in rotten tree trunks. The most frequently seen ants are the wingless worker ants, which are infertile females. At certain times of year, newly emerged winged males and young queen ants may be seen when they depart their nests to go on mating flights. Ants are yellowish brown, reddish brown or black in colour and range in size from 2-15mm in length, depending on the species and caste.
Species in Britain and Ireland
About 70 species have been recorded in Britain and Ireland, including a number of non-native species that live in buildings or glasshouses. Forty two species are considered to be native to Britain. Many ants have special habitat requirements and only about a dozen species are regularly found in gardens. The most frequently encountered are likely to be the common black ant, Lasius niger, yellow meadow ant, Lasius flavus and a red ant, Myrmica ruginodis. Some ant species are confined to northern Britain but it is the southern counties of England that have the greatest number of ant species, especially where there are well drained sandy or chalky soils.
Biology
Ant nests are mostly in the soil but some species, such as Lasius brunneus and Lasius fuliginosus, nest in rotten wood, while wood ants, Formica spp nest in large raised mounds of plant debris. Ant nests consist of a series of tunnels and chambers in which the ants live and rear the larvae. Each nest contains one or more queen ants, which are fertile females. Most of the other ants are worker ants, which are wingless, non reproductive females. A strong colony of one of the most common garden ants, Lasius niger, can contain as many as 30,000 ants.
Lasius niger colony in the base of a plant pot (video: Steve Head)
Worker ants mostly gather food in the form of other insects that are carried back to the nest. Tetramorium caespitum eats seeds, mainly of grasses and heather, which it will gather as a food store in the nest. Other ants also gather certain seeds, such those of violets and gorse, which have oil-rich attachments. Sweet liquids, such as fruit juices and honeydew excreted by aphids, also form an important part of the diet. Ants that have found a good food source will lay down a scent trail so other ants from the nest can locate it.
When threatened, ants will defend themselves and their nests. Worker ants have a sting that will inject poison into the body of an enemy. Some ants, such as the wood ant Formica rufa, can squirt formic acid at their foes. When a nest is under threat, worker ants release an alarm scent or pheromone that rapidly alerts other worker ants to the need to defend the nest.
Life cycle
At certain times of the year, the queen ant will lay eggs that will produce either male ants or young queens. These ants have wings and when conditions are right, the males and young queens emerge from the nest and go off on mating flights. Mating flights in some ant species are triggered by warm humid weather, which can result in simultaneous mass emergences from many nests. After they have been mated, the young queens break off their wings and seek suitable places to establish new nests.
Queen ants lay eggs that hatch into white legless larvae, which are fed with food regurgitated by the worker ants. Unfertilised eggs will produce larvae that develop into male ants. Fertilised eggs will develop into worker ants or young queens, with the latter being fed a richer diet when at the larval stage.
When fully fed, the larvae turn into pupae and later emerge as adult ants. In some species, the pupae are exposed but in others the larva spins a silk cocoon around itself before pupating. These whitish brown cocoons are often mistakenly referred to as ant eggs; real ant eggs are too small to be easily seen.
Role of ants in gardens
Ants rarely cause any significant direct damage to plants. However, they are often regarded as a nuisance in gardens, especially when their nest building activities produce heaps of excavated soil on lawns, or partially bury low-growing plants in the flower beds.
Ants often visit aphids on plants to collect the sweet honeydew that these sap-sucking insects excrete. Aphid predators, such as ladybirds, are likely to be driven off by ants attending the aphids, so aphid infestations may develop more rapidly in the presence of ants. Ants themselves are the prey of many other insects and spiders. Birds such as house martins, swifts and swallows have a feeding bonanza when ant mating fights are taking place.
Lasius niger colony in the base of a plant pot (video: Steve Head)
Worker ants mostly gather food in the form of other insects that are carried back to the nest. Tetramorium caespitum eats seeds, mainly of grasses and heather, which it will gather as a food store in the nest. Other ants also gather certain seeds, such those of violets and gorse, which have oil-rich attachments. Sweet liquids, such as fruit juices and honeydew excreted by aphids, also form an important part of the diet. Ants that have found a good food source will lay down a scent trail so other ants from the nest can locate it.
When threatened, ants will defend themselves and their nests. Worker ants have a sting that will inject poison into the body of an enemy. Some ants, such as the wood ant Formica rufa, can squirt formic acid at their foes. When a nest is under threat, worker ants release an alarm scent or pheromone that rapidly alerts other worker ants to the need to defend the nest.
Life cycle
At certain times of the year, the queen ant will lay eggs that will produce either male ants or young queens. These ants have wings and when conditions are right, the males and young queens emerge from the nest and go off on mating flights. Mating flights in some ant species are triggered by warm humid weather, which can result in simultaneous mass emergences from many nests. After they have been mated, the young queens break off their wings and seek suitable places to establish new nests.
Queen ants lay eggs that hatch into white legless larvae, which are fed with food regurgitated by the worker ants. Unfertilised eggs will produce larvae that develop into male ants. Fertilised eggs will develop into worker ants or young queens, with the latter being fed a richer diet when at the larval stage.
When fully fed, the larvae turn into pupae and later emerge as adult ants. In some species, the pupae are exposed but in others the larva spins a silk cocoon around itself before pupating. These whitish brown cocoons are often mistakenly referred to as ant eggs; real ant eggs are too small to be easily seen.
Role of ants in gardens
Ants rarely cause any significant direct damage to plants. However, they are often regarded as a nuisance in gardens, especially when their nest building activities produce heaps of excavated soil on lawns, or partially bury low-growing plants in the flower beds.
Ants often visit aphids on plants to collect the sweet honeydew that these sap-sucking insects excrete. Aphid predators, such as ladybirds, are likely to be driven off by ants attending the aphids, so aphid infestations may develop more rapidly in the presence of ants. Ants themselves are the prey of many other insects and spiders. Birds such as house martins, swifts and swallows have a feeding bonanza when ant mating fights are taking place.
Lasius niger colony in the base of a plant pot (video: Steve Head)
Worker ants mostly gather food in the form of other insects that are carried back to the nest. Tetramorium caespitum eats seeds, mainly of grasses and heather, which it will gather as a food store in the nest. Other ants also gather certain seeds, such those of violets and gorse, which have oil-rich attachments. Sweet liquids, such as fruit juices and honeydew excreted by aphids, also form an important part of the diet. Ants that have found a good food source will lay down a scent trail so other ants from the nest can locate it.
When threatened, ants will defend themselves and their nests. Worker ants have a sting that will inject poison into the body of an enemy. Some ants, such as the wood ant Formica rufa, can squirt formic acid at their foes. When a nest is under threat, worker ants release an alarm scent or pheromone that rapidly alerts other worker ants to the need to defend the nest.
Life cycle
At certain times of the year, the queen ant will lay eggs that will produce either male ants or young queens. These ants have wings and when conditions are right, the males and young queens emerge from the nest and go off on mating flights. Mating flights in some ant species are triggered by warm humid weather, which can result in simultaneous mass emergences from many nests. After they have been mated, the young queens break off their wings and seek suitable places to establish new nests.
Queen ants lay eggs that hatch into white legless larvae, which are fed with food regurgitated by the worker ants. Unfertilised eggs will produce larvae that develop into male ants. Fertilised eggs will develop into worker ants or young queens, with the latter being fed a richer diet when at the larval stage.
When fully fed, the larvae turn into pupae and later emerge as adult ants. In some species, the pupae are exposed but in others the larva spins a silk cocoon around itself before pupating. These whitish brown cocoons are often mistakenly referred to as ant eggs; real ant eggs are too small to be easily seen.
Role of ants in gardens
Ants rarely cause any significant direct damage to plants. However, they are often regarded as a nuisance in gardens, especially when their nest building activities produce heaps of excavated soil on lawns, or partially bury low-growing plants in the flower beds.
Ants often visit aphids on plants to collect the sweet honeydew that these sap-sucking insects excrete. Aphid predators, such as ladybirds, are likely to be driven off by ants attending the aphids, so aphid infestations may develop more rapidly in the presence of ants. Ants themselves are the prey of many other insects and spiders. Birds such as house martins, swifts and swallows have a feeding bonanza when ant mating fights are taking place.
Yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus about to "milk" an aphid for honeydew
Other sources of information
Website
Books
Bolton, B. & Collingwood, C. A. (1975) Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects Vol 6 part 3c. Hymenoptera - Formicidae – out of print but available as a free download here. http://www.royensoc.co.uk/content/out-print-handbooks
Brian, M. V. (1977) Ants Collins New Naturalist series no. 59. Harper Collins
Skinner, G. J. & Allen, G. W. (1996). Naturalists' Handbooks 24 Ants. Richmond Publishing
Bernhard Seifert (2018) The Ants of Central and Northern Europe. Lutra
By Andrew Halstead reviewed by Andrew Salisbury edited by Steve Head
Garden Wildlife
Garden Wildlife
Top left: Common black ant Lasius niger worker. Top right: yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus.
Bottom left: Lasius niger queen with wings. Bottom right: red ant, Myrmica ruginodis.