Woodland ants.
by Oliver, 6 March, 2015, 0 comments
Ants, like bees, belong to the Hymenoptera (insects with membranous wings and narrow ‘waists’). Like the bees, ants are ‘social insects’ and within their colonies / nests, there is a division of labour (workers, soldiers, queens). In the U.K, there are a number of ant species but Britain’s ant population is probably smaller than the ant populations in warmer European countries. There are four main species of true wood ant - Formica rufa, F. aquilonia, F. lugubris and F. pratensis.
rufa is the southern wood (or horse) ant – it is a sun-loving species, liking open glades and the edges of woodlands – particular in coniferous woodland. The ants are quite large – workers being about 10 mm ( 1cm) in length and the queens about 12 mm.
pratensis is the European red ant. This is similar to F. rufa but darker in colour, and likes warmth. Its nests are smaller (often made of grass and small twigs), it is thought to be ‘extinct’ on mainland Britain.
Read more...
