Common UK Ant Species
There are about 11,000 species of Ants in the world, but because they prefer warm environments only 50 species are in the UK. Here are the 6 most common Ants found in the UK.
Lasius niger (Common Black Garden Ant)
Perhaps the best known ant to the people of England is Lasius niger, the common black garden Ant, it certainly is known by our gardeners and household owners due to its tendency to enter houses. It tends to nest under pavements, in soil, along the edges of lawns, in fact almost anywhere. It is a very quick, robust and prolific ant, using formic acid and its jaws as a means of attack/defence. Lasius niger colonies can grow up to a size of 15,000 workers, though about 4,000 to 7,000 is perhaps the average. They eat insects, nectar, and even the bodies of their own dead, or Ants from other colonies. They are also very fond of sugary substances.
Lasius flavus (Yellow Meadow Ant)
Another common ant found in gardens is Lasius flavus, the yellow meadow Ant. These Ants build small mounds in our lawns and are often mistaken for red ants due to their yellow-orange colour, yet they are no more harmful than their common black cousins. It is the most skilled nest builder found in the UK and can also be found in fields and meadows where they build much larger mounds. Lasius flavus tend to forage below ground and therefore are not often seen except perhaps when its nest is disturbed, or during the annual mating flights. They tend to forage underground, feeding on small insects and mites that stray into their tunnels.
Formica rufa (Red Wood Ant)
Another common British Ant are those belonging to the species Formica, also known as the ‘Wood Ant’. Many of these species build huge mounds from pine needles and other woodland litter on the edge of forest clearings or pathways, and can number more than 100,000 members per colony. These Ants are large, aggressive, and attack by biting and spraying formic acid very effectively if disturbed. The largest Ant in the UK is Formica sanguinea and is a slave-raider. It raids colonies of other Formica species, such as Formica fusca and steals their brood, taking them back to their own nest where they raise the hatching workers as their own. Surprisingly these Ants generally do not kill the workers of the nests they raid unless the defending workers try to stop the invader from taking what it wants. Formica rufa are polygynous and can have hundreds of egg laying queens in one nest.
Myrmica rubra
There are seven species of the Myrmica family found in this country. These Ants tend to be a deep red in colour and can deliver a painful sting. The most common of the seven species is Myrmica ruginodis which can be found throughout Britain and live in small colonies with between 100-300 members, but can have many egg laying queens in one colony. Myrmica are aggressive and seem to be more happier attacking than running away.
Tetramorium caespitum
Tetramorium caespitum is a small black stinging Ant. They are typically found along the coasts of Southern and Western England. Tetramorium caespitum can have nests containign up to 30,000 ants, but the average is perhaps 10,000.
Formica fusca
Another wood Ant species, though black, and very much more timid than it’s red cousins. Formica fusca prefer to nest under rotting logs and are found from the Midlands down to Southern England. They have populations of usually less than 1,000 and though can be polygynous, they do not normally have very many queens in each colony. Formica fusca have extremely good eyesight but tend to be very timid, running rather than fighting.
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