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New Lasius Niger Queen What an exciting evening - after very heavy rain yesterday and warm/humid weather today, it would appear that conditions were perfect for the nuptial flights! Hundreds of Lasius Niger males and newly impregnated queens landed in my garden. It was nice to sit out having a BBQ and watching them all fly round and land, looking for their new nesting site so they can start their own colony. Really pleased I got to witness it :) Black garden ant,Lasius niger Click/tap to enlarge

New Lasius Niger Queen

What an exciting evening - after very heavy rain yesterday and warm/humid weather today, it would appear that conditions were perfect for the nuptial flights! Hundreds of Lasius Niger males and newly impregnated queens landed in my garden. It was nice to sit out having a BBQ and watching them all fly round and land, looking for their new nesting site so they can start their own colony. Really pleased I got to witness it :)

    comments (2)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
    Lion
    View Lion class
    A Nuptial flight, it is the same thing as a "bride flight"? If so, I've seen it once in our lawn:

    Today we rise - Brideflight I barely ever see ants in our garden. Yet last weekend for some mysterious reason a large nest of several hundreds, if not thousands, erupted like a volcano. I can distinguish three types of ants: wingless workers, winged workers and a few winged queens. Every few seconds a few of the winged ones flew of, perhaps to start a new nest.<br /> <br /> I wonder what triggered these ants on this day particularly.<br /> <br /> Update: I just learned that what I witnessed is probably the "bride flight", where on a pressing summer day the winged queen along with many men with exit the nest in waves to start a new colony somewhere else. Upon landing, the queen will eat her own wings to provide initial energy needed to lay new eggs. Black garden ant,Lasius niger
     Posted 10 years ago, modified 10 years ago
    1. View Stuart's profile
      Stuart
      Lion
      View Lion class
      Hi Ferdy - it certainly is. I found it pretty amazing seeing it all happen. I kept 2 of the Queens, they are tucked up safely ready to start their own colony in the relative luxury of a warm, safe test tube. Posted 10 years ago

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The Black garden ant

The 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.

Info 25 2
Similar species: Wasps, Bees, Sawflies And Ants
Species identified by Stuart
View Stuart's profile

By Stuart

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Uploaded Aug 2, 2015. Captured Aug 2, 2015 18:12.
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  • Canon EOS 600D
  • f/10.0
  • 1/128s
  • ISO800
  • 55mm

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