British ants
Encyclopedia
This is a list of ants of Great Britain, including endemic and introduced species. Compared with much of the rest of Europe
, Great Britain
has a smaller number of ant
s. The size and diversity of ant
species in any area is largely determined by the highest summer soil temperature, and this being so, it is not surprising that the greatest concentration of different species is centred in the warmer parts of the country – Dorset
, Hampshire
, Surrey
, the Isle of Wight
and Kent
being the 5 richest counties, with 33, 31, 29, 27 and 26 different species present respectively.
A few species, best exemplified by Lasius niger and Myrmica rubra
, are truly cosmopolitan
, colonising a great variety of different habitats (often including those directly resultant from human activities). These species are very common in most places, and have ranges that cover most of the nation.
The larger part of Great Britain's ant species are, however, considerably more specialised in their requirements. Most independent species are found on undisturbed heathland in the south – probably as a direct result of its superior summer soil temperatures – and 6 are entirely dependent on other species during their mature life (i.e. not simply to found colonies, a requirement of many further species).
Many of the lesser seen species are at the northern extent of their range in Britain, and for this reason are confined to the south.
The variously differing biotopes afforded by parkland / partially wooded heath and larger traditional style gardens are also inhabited by a number of otherwise more heathland-pigeonholed species, such as Formica fusca/lemani, Lasius mixtus/umbratus and L. fuliginosus.
The remaining species are mostly sylvan
. These include the well known wood ants, typified by the southerly inclined Formica rufa
, and the more northerly F. lugubris and F. aquilonia. These large, noticeable species abide in mounds constructed from leaf litter, which are fortunately still a common site in many older forests and broken woodland up and down the country.
A few other smaller, less easily spotted species also make their livings in conjunction with more arborised loci. Stenamma species, Leptothorax acervorum and Temnothorax nylanderi can be found, locality permitting, under stones/logs and beneath loose bark respectively, in established woods. The former habitat is also shared by the rather locally distributed Ponera coarctata, one of two unambiguously native British representatives of the subfamily Ponerinae
. The other is the recently discovered P. testacea, which inhabits xerothermic sites.
The list largely follows Skinner & Allen's Naturalists' Handbooks 24 : Ants published in 1996, though there have been some additions and corrections. Introduced species are marked with an asterisk (*).
Dolichoderinae
Waist with a single segment called the petiole. Gaster with four segments visible from above in females (workers and queens). Sting absent. Anal aperture flattened with a hairless horizontal slit.
Formicinae
Waist with a single segment called the petiole. Gaster with five segments visible from above in females (workers and queens).Sting absent. Anal aperture pointed and fringed with hairs.
Myrmicinae
Waist with two segments, the petiole and post-petiole. Stings usually present in female castes.
Ponerinae
The petiole is a thickened node and there is often a constriction between the first and second gastral segments. Workers and queens have functional stings.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
has a smaller number of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s. The size and diversity of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
species in any area is largely determined by the highest summer soil temperature, and this being so, it is not surprising that the greatest concentration of different species is centred in the warmer parts of the country – Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
being the 5 richest counties, with 33, 31, 29, 27 and 26 different species present respectively.
A few species, best exemplified by Lasius niger and Myrmica rubra
Myrmica rubra
Myrmica rubra, also known as the European fire ant or common red ant, is a species of ant of the genus Myrmica, found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia. They are mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. The ants live under stones, fallen trees,...
, are truly cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...
, colonising a great variety of different habitats (often including those directly resultant from human activities). These species are very common in most places, and have ranges that cover most of the nation.
The larger part of Great Britain's ant species are, however, considerably more specialised in their requirements. Most independent species are found on undisturbed heathland in the south – probably as a direct result of its superior summer soil temperatures – and 6 are entirely dependent on other species during their mature life (i.e. not simply to found colonies, a requirement of many further species).
Many of the lesser seen species are at the northern extent of their range in Britain, and for this reason are confined to the south.
The variously differing biotopes afforded by parkland / partially wooded heath and larger traditional style gardens are also inhabited by a number of otherwise more heathland-pigeonholed species, such as Formica fusca/lemani, Lasius mixtus/umbratus and L. fuliginosus.
The remaining species are mostly sylvan
Sylvan
Sylvan, Silvan or Sylvian refers to an association with the woods. Specifically, that which inhabits the wood, is made of tree materials, or comprises the forest itself. The term can also refer to a person who resides in the woods or a spirit of the wood...
. These include the well known wood ants, typified by the southerly inclined Formica rufa
Formica rufa
Formica rufa, also known as the southern wood ant or horse ant, is a boreal member of the Formica rufa group of ants, commonly found throughout much of Europe in both coniferous and broad-leaf broken woodland and parkland. Workers can measure 8–10 mm in length...
, and the more northerly F. lugubris and F. aquilonia. These large, noticeable species abide in mounds constructed from leaf litter, which are fortunately still a common site in many older forests and broken woodland up and down the country.
A few other smaller, less easily spotted species also make their livings in conjunction with more arborised loci. Stenamma species, Leptothorax acervorum and Temnothorax nylanderi can be found, locality permitting, under stones/logs and beneath loose bark respectively, in established woods. The former habitat is also shared by the rather locally distributed Ponera coarctata, one of two unambiguously native British representatives of the subfamily Ponerinae
Ponerinae
Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 28 extant genera, including Dinoponera gigantea - one of the world's largest species of ant....
. The other is the recently discovered P. testacea, which inhabits xerothermic sites.
The list largely follows Skinner & Allen's Naturalists' Handbooks 24 : Ants published in 1996, though there have been some additions and corrections. Introduced species are marked with an asterisk (*).
DolichoderinaeDolichoderinaeDolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant , the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. This subfamily is distinguished by having a single petiole and a slit-like orifice, rather than the round acidopore encircled by hairs that typifies...
Waist with a single segment called the petiole. Gaster with four segments visible from above in females (workers and queens). Sting absent. Anal aperture flattened with a hairless horizontal slit.
- Linepithema humileArgentine antThe Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is a dark ant native to northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil...
, Argentine ant * - Tapinoma ambiguum – A rare small black ant found in southern Britain nesting in heathland. Very similar to Tapinoma erraticum.
- Tapinoma erraticumErratic antThe erratic ant is a species of dolichoderine ant first described in 1789 by Latreille.This species ranges throughout Central Europe from the mountains of south Italy to north Germany. It is present in coastal areas of Southern England and on the islands of Gotland and Öland in Sweden.A...
, erratic ant – a small black ant found in southern Britain nesting in heathland. - Tapinoma melanocephalumTapinoma melanocephalumTapinoma melanocephalum is a species of ant that goes by the common name ghost ant.They are recognised by their dark head and pale or translucent legs and gaster . This colouring makes this tiny ant seem even smaller....
*
FormicinaeFormicinaeFormicinae is a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.Formicines retain some primitive features such as the presence of cocoons around pupae, the presence of ocelli in workers, and little tendency toward reduction of palp or antennal segmentation in...
Waist with a single segment called the petiole. Gaster with five segments visible from above in females (workers and queens).Sting absent. Anal aperture pointed and fringed with hairs.- Camponotus sp., carpenter ants *
- Formica aquiloniaFormica aquiloniaFormica aquilonia is a species of wood ant of the genus Formica which are widely distributed in Europe and Asia, occurring from Scandinavia in the north to Bulgaria and Italy in the south, and from the UK eastwards through France and Germany to Russia, while they are also found in the coastal areas...
, northern wood ant – A wood ant building thatched mound nests. Found in the highlands of Scotland with a few records from Ireland. Not found in England. - Formica cuniculariaFormica cuniculariaFormica cunicularia is a mining ant of the Formica fusca group. Forelian systematics places it in the subgenus Serviformica. Locally common in southern England, its appearance and habits ally it, to some extent, with Formica rufibarbis, although the former's red markings are far less conspicuous....
– A large ant often with some reddish parts quite common in parts of southern England. Nests in small earth mounds. - Formica exsecta – A large ant found in Devon and highlands of Scotland. Nests in small thatched mounds.
- Formica fuscaFormica fuscaFormica fusca, the common black ant of Europe, is a palaearctic ant with a range extending from Portugal in the west to Japan in the east and from Italy in the south to Fennoscandia in the north. F...
– A large black ant found in southern Britain. - Formica lemani – Very similar to F. fusca, but found in more northerly and westerly areas.
- Formica lugubrisFormica lugubrisFormica lugubris is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is found in Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom....
, hairy wood ant – Very similar to F. rufa but with a more northerly distribution. - Formica picea, black bog ant – Rare shiny black ant. Nests in tussocks in marshy ground in the New Forest, Dorset and in South Wales. Formerly known as Formica candida and before that as Formica transkaucasica.
- Formica pratensisFormica pratensisFormica pratensis is a species of European red wood ant in the family Formicidae. It is found in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Latviania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and...
– A wood ant probably now extinct in Britain. Last seen in Dorset. - Formica rufaFormica rufaFormica rufa, also known as the southern wood ant or horse ant, is a boreal member of the Formica rufa group of ants, commonly found throughout much of Europe in both coniferous and broad-leaf broken woodland and parkland. Workers can measure 8–10 mm in length...
, red or southern wood ant – A large ant. It builds large thatched mounds in woodland. - Formica rufibarbisFormica rufibarbisFormica rufibarbis is a European formicine ant of the Formica fusca group. In the classification by Auguste Forel, it is treated in the subgenus Serviformica....
– A large rare ant found in a few southern sites and the Scilly Isles. Looks similar to F. cunicularia. - Formica sanguineaFormica sanguineaFormica sanguinea is a species of slavemaker ant. It ranges from Central and Northern Europe through Russia to Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula. This species is colored red and black with workers up to 7 mm long. Its common name comes from their practice of enslaving other species of...
, blood-red slave-maker ant – Redder than the other Formica species. It makes slaves of other species and most usually of Formica fusca. - Lasius alienus – A small black ant found in chalky grassland.
- Lasius brunneus, brown tree ant – A small fugitive bi-coloured ant nesting in trees, especially old oak trees. Found in woods and parkland.
- Lasius emarginatus – A small bi-coloured continental species previously found in the Channel Isles but not the mainland. A colony was discovered in London in 2008.
- Lasius flavusYellow meadow antThe Yellow Meadow Ant, Lasius flavus, is one of the most common ants in Central Europe, although it also occurs in Asia, North Africa and eastern North America.The queen is 7–9 mm long, males 3–4 mm and workers 2–4 mm...
, yellow meadow ant – A very common yellow ant. It builds large earthen mounds that last many years in undisturbed grassland. It can also be found nesting under stones and in garden lawns. It lives mostly underground and is not often seen on the surface. - Lasius fuliginosus, jet black ant – Large shiny black ant with heart shaped head. It nests in tree stumps and hedgerows and has a patchy distribution.
- Lasius meridionalis – A yellow subterranean ant found in lowland sandy heaths. Fertilised queens start colonies through adoption by Lasius alienus.
- Lasius mixtus – A yellow subterranean ant nesting deep in the ground among shrub roots and under deep boulders, but occasionally also constructs mounds of fine loose soil.
- Lasius neglectusLasius neglectusLasius neglectus is a polygynous, sometimes invasive, ant of the genus Lasius. The ant was identified in 1990 after establishing a colony in Budapest, Hungary...
* invasive garden ant – A small brown ant that forms super colonies in parks and gardens. First found in Gloucestershire in 2009. Likely to spread. - Lasius nigerBlack garden antThe black garden ant is a formicine ant, the type species of the subgenus Lasius, found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia. It is monogynous, meaning colonies have a single queen....
, black garden ant – Common in towns nesting under paving stones and in gardens, it also constructs mounds of loose soil in fields. - Lasius platythorax – Looks very similar to Lasius niger from which it was recently split but nests in cooler damper places. Does not work the earth but typically nests in dead wood.
- Lasius psammophilus – Very similar to Lasius alienus from which it was recently split. Found in sandy areas.
- Lasius sabularum – A yellow subterranean ant.
- Lasius umbratusLasius umbratusLasius umbratus is a parasitic ant. Queens find a Lasius niger worker ant, kill it to gain its scent and then are able to enter its nest. Once inside it finds and kills the queen. The worker ants will care for her larvae and slowly the colony will become one of Lasius umbratus...
– A yellow subterranean ant nesting under boulders, in tree stumps and at the base of old trees. Fertilised queens start colonies through adoption by Lasius alienus, L. niger or L. brunneus nests. - Paratrechina vividula *
- Paratrechina longicornis *
MyrmicinaeMyrmicinaeMyrmicinae is a subfamily of ants. There are about 140 genera within the group, with the family being cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes...
Waist with two segments, the petiole and post-petiole. Stings usually present in female castes.- Anergates atratulusAnergatesAnergates is a single-species genus of tetramorine Myrmicine ants. It is a worker-less obligate parasite to Tetramorium caespitum, the "lawn ant" or "pavement ant", and is thought to have evolved as an aberrant form of the genus Tetramorium....
– A workerless parasite found only with Tetramorium. - Crematogaster scutellaris *
- Formicoxenus nitidulusFormicoxenus nitidulusFormicoxenus nitidulus is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is found in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland...
– A guest ant. It nests in colonies of the much larger Formica rufa. - Leptothorax acervorum – A small ant nesting in tree stumps, under stones and in peat.
- Monomorium pharaonisPharaoh antThe pharaoh ant is a small yellow or light brown, almost transparent ant notorious for being a major indoor nuisance pest, especially in hospitals. The origin of this "tramp" ant is uncertain, although favoured alternatives include West Africa and Indonesia...
, pharaoh ant * - Monomorium salomonis *
- Myrmecina graminicola, woodlouse ant – So called because it tends to roll into a ball when disturbed. A dark and slow moving ant.
- Myrmica hirsuta – A rare almost workerless parasite of Myrmica sabuleti.
- Myrmica karavajevi – A workerless parasite of Myrmica sabuleti and M. scabrinodis.
- Myrmica lonea – A rare red ant recorded from Scotland nesting in soil and under stones.
- Myrmica lobicornis – Not common. It is found on lowland heath and open woodland.
- Myrmica rubraMyrmica rubraMyrmica rubra, also known as the European fire ant or common red ant, is a species of ant of the genus Myrmica, found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia. They are mainly red in colour, with slightly darker pigmentation on the head. The ants live under stones, fallen trees,...
, red ant – A common lowland species most abundant in alluvial soils near rivers. - Myrmica ruginodisMyrmica ruginodisMyrmica ruginodis is a species of ant that lives in northern parts of Europe and Asia. It is very similar to M. rubra, but has a more northerly and higher-altitude distribution. Overwintering larvae may become either workers or queen ants, with up to 20 queens living in a colony of up to 2,500...
, red ant – A common species abundant in woodland where it nests in tree stumps. - Myrmica sabuletiMyrmica sabuletiMyrmica sabuleti is a species of ant. The species is indigenous to Europe and most colonies are polygynous. The Large Blue butterfly caterpillar parasitically prey on the species as it hatchess on thyme buds and then tricks the ants into believing it is one of their own larvae, ants then carry it...
– A red ant, locally common nesting in sun exposed sheltered sites. - Myrmica scabrinodis, elbowed red ant – A common red ant with variable habits. Often found associated with the meadow ant Lasius flavus, but also common in woodland, coastal areas, riverbanks and moorland.
- Myrmica schencki – This nocturnal red ant is not common.
- Myrmica specioides – A rather local red ant. Nests occur in coastal sand, gravel banks and post industrial sites. Sometimes referred to as Myrmica bessarabica
- Myrmica sulcinodis – A dark red ant characteristic of well drained heather moorland.
- Myrmica vandeli – A rare red ant found in warm boggy areas.
- Pheidole megacephalaPheidole megacephalaPheidole megacephala is a species of ant in the family Formicidae. It is commonly known as the bigheaded ant in the USA and the coastal brown ant in Australia. It is a very successful invasive species and is considered a danger to native ants in Australia and other places...
* - Solenopsis fugaxSolenopsis fugaxSolenopsis fugax is a myrmicine ant of the genus Solenopsis.It is the only member of its genus to be native to the British Isles, and although rare, it has been taken by Horace Donisthorpe in a number of localities on England's Southern coast, including Sandown and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight,...
thief ant – It has very small yellow workers and nests deep in the ground. It is often associated with Lasius flavus or Formica species, from which it steals. - Stenamma debile – A small and easily overlooked species nesting in woods under stones and in found leaf litter. More common than Stenamma westwoodii with which it has until recently been confused.
- Stenamma westwoodii – A small and easily overlooked species less common than Stenamma debile with which it has, until recently, been confused.
- Strongylognathus testaceus – Workerless parasite found only with Tetramorium
- Temnothorax albipennisTemnothorax albipennisTemnothorax albipennis is a species of small ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It occurs in Europe and builds simple nests in rock crevices.-Description:...
– A small ant found in warm coastal areas nesting in cracks in rocks. - Temnothorax interruptus – A small uncommon ant
- Temnothorax nylanderi – A small ant found in leaf litter in woods.
- Tetramorium caespitum – Tends to be coastal and forms large colonies.
PonerinaePonerinaePonerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 28 extant genera, including Dinoponera gigantea - one of the world's largest species of ant....
The petiole is a thickened node and there is often a constriction between the first and second gastral segments. Workers and queens have functional stings.- Hypoponera punctatissima * – A cosmopolitan species occasionally recorded away from buildings.
- Hypoponera schauinslandi * – A cosmopolitan species not recorded away from buildings.
- Ponera coarctata – A primitive ant forming small colonies beneath stones. Found in warm places.
- Ponera testacea – Previously regarded as a variety of coarctata, this mainly mediterranean species is scarce further north in Europe, living under stones in open xerothermic sites. Identified and published from a single locality in coastal S.E. England in 2010.