Black garden ants (Lasius niger), also known as the common black ant, is one of the most widespread species in the UK, found living in almost every corner of our gardens. They can be identified by their glossy black colouring and small size; around 3-4mm long. Although these insects may appear insignificant at first glance, they have an incredibly complex lifestyle that is worth exploring further. From where they live to what they eat, understanding more about black garden ants will help us appreciate them as a vital part of our environment. In this article, we’ll explore identification tips for spotting these critters, learn about their habitat and distribution across Britain as well as uncover some fascinating facts on behaviour and diet.
Overview
The black garden ant (Lasius niger) is a species of ant belonging to the family Formicidae, which includes all ants. This species belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which includes bees and wasps as well. The subfamily of this species is Myrmicinae, and its genus is Lasius.
How To Identify a Black Garden Ant
Black garden ants vary greatly in size, ranging from 3-5mm long depending on age and gender. Most workers tend to measure between 2-3mm long when fully grown, making them easy to spot amongst other insect life forms like bees or wasps due to their smaller stature compared with these creatures.
Lasius niger have two antennae on their head that they use for sensing their environment and communicating with other members of their colony. Their bodies are usually black or dark brown in colour but can also be reddish-brown, depending on where they live.
Distinguishing features
Black garden ants have a distinct shape with three segments to their body; the head, thorax and abdomen. The head is oval-shaped with two large eyes at the front and two antennae that extend from either side. The thorax is slightly larger than the head and has six legs attached to it which help them move quickly over surfaces such as leaves or soil. Finally, the abdomen is rounded off at one end, where they attach to other objects like twigs or blades of grass.
Colouration
As its name suggests, black garden ants are typically dark brown or black in colour, although some may appear lighter depending on age or location. They also have yellowish markings along their sides which helps distinguish them from other species of ants found in Britain, such as red wood ants (Formica rufa).
Black Garden Ant Habitat
The black garden ant is found in a variety of habitats across the UK. They are most commonly found in gardens, parks and other areas with plenty of vegetation.
In terms of preference, these ants typically prefer grassy areas near human dwellings due to access to food sources such as plants growing nearby. However, they may venture further away from home if needed in the search of food or new nesting sites; thus, it is not uncommon to find them living farther out into wooded areas, too, if conditions allow it there as well.
Black ants prefer warm climates but can survive in colder temperatures if necessary by burrowing underground or seeking shelter inside buildings during winter months when temperatures drop too low for them to survive outside comfortably.
Distribution Of The Black Garden Ant
Black garden ants have been known to travel up to 500 metres away from their nest in search of food, making them one of the most widely distributed species across Europe’s temperate regions. Their range extends all the way from Norway down through Italy and even into parts of Turkey, where some specimens have been observed living at higher altitudes than anywhere else in Europe.
Diet Of The Black Garden Ant
Black garden ants feed on a variety of food sources, consisting mainly of small insects such as aphids and caterpillars, which they hunt for food; however, they will also eat fruits and vegetables if available. In addition to their scavenging habits, these ants will sometimes raid nearby bee hives for honeycomb or pollen when food sources become scarce during colder months.
They feed mainly on sweet substances such as honeydew produced by aphids, although they will eat almost anything available, including insects, seeds, fruits, fungi, etc., making them omnivorous scavengers rather than predators like some other ant species are known to be.
Black Garden Ant Behaviour
Life in the colony
Black garden ants tend to live in colonies consisting of hundreds or even thousands of individuals working together for food-gathering purposes, benefitting the group as a whole. Each colony has one queen who lays eggs while workers take care of her and tend to larvae until they reach adulthood and become part of the workforce themselves. During mating season, they will often swarm around trees looking for mates before returning back to their nests underground, where eggs are laid, and larvae develop into adults over time.
Defending the nest
When it comes to defending themselves against predators, Lasius niger relies heavily on their strong mandibles, which allow them to bite any potential threats before retreating back into the safety of their nest. If an intruder does manage to enter the nest, then they will be attacked by numerous workers at once who will swarm around them until they leave or die from exhaustion or injury inflicted by bites and stings from multiple ants simultaneously.
Maintaining the ecosystem
These hardworking creatures play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems due to their ability to aerate soils by digging tunnels while searching for food and nesting materials; this helps keep the soil loose so water can easily penetrate it instead of running off into rivers or streams, which could cause flooding downstream. Additionally, they help control insect populations by preying on smaller pests like aphids that might otherwise damage crops or spread disease among plants if left unchecked.
Reproduction
In terms of reproduction, black garden ants have two distinct castes; queens and workers. The queen is responsible for laying eggs while the workers take care of feeding larvae as well as protecting the colony from intruders and collecting food resources outside its boundaries when necessary. Queens may live up to 15 years, while worker lifespans range between 1-3 years depending on environmental conditions such as temperature or availability of food sources nearby.
Ash is a contributing author who has been writing about wildlife for as long as he can remember. He has a vast knowledge of many different types of animals, from the tiniest shrews to the great whales that live in the deepest oceans.