JungleDragon is a nature and wildlife community for photographers, travellers and anyone who loves nature. We're genuine, free, ad-free and beautiful.

Join

Lasius fuliginosus - colony rescued, Heesch, Netherlands This is the &quot;after&quot; shot of the nest I accidentally exposed by tipping over a rotten log. Note the timing of the photos. From this....<br /> <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64462/lasius_fuliginosus_-_exposed_heesch_netherlands.html" title="Lasius fuliginosus - exposed, Heesch, Netherlands"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/64462_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=Mz2OHky02IXQTzwLkz%2Fm8%2BL%2B40w%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="Lasius fuliginosus - exposed, Heesch, Netherlands Presumed species, I will check it with an expert. Note that I know very little about ants, so I may not use the right jargon in this series, so do correct me where I go wrong. <br /> <br /> I normally don&#039;t intervene with nature much on my hikes, meaning I don&#039;t do a lot of digging or turning over things. Yet on this day I saw a very rotten trunk stuck to the forest floor, so I tipped it over with my shoe, to see if perhaps some woodlice or beetles were below it. To my shock (and yes I felt guilty about it) I exposed a large ant colony and partly destroyed their carefully crafted tunnel system. So let us use my brutality to document about the species what we can.<br /> <br /> Ants seemingly don&#039;t waste a lot of time complaining about this external event, because the very second they were exposed, hundreds were frantically moving, each knowing exactly what to do next: secure the offspring. In this opening scene you get an overview, yet it doesn&#039;t show everything. Faintly in the back you see white larvae but there&#039;s more rooms to show.<br /> <br /> Closeups of the immediate response:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64465/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64466/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_ii_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> There&#039;s more to the nest, a side view shows a nursery holding the larvae:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64468/jet_black_ants_-_nursery_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Taking a step back, we see multiple of such rooms:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64469/jet_black_ants_-_nurseries_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> And even a pupa room:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64470/jet_black_ants_-_treasury_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Hundreds of ants, if not thousands. Multiple rooms with larvae, at least one visible room with pupas. Cleaned up in minutes, not a single ant, larvae or pupa in sight, as if nothing happened:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64471/jet_black_ants_-_colony_rescued_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Some individuals:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64488/camponotus_vagus.html Europe,Heeswijk-Dinther,Jet black ant,Lasius fuliginosus,Netherlands,World" /></a></figure><br /> ...to this after situation is a mere 6 minutes. From this...<br /> <br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64470/lasius_fuliginosus_-_treasury_heesch_netherlands.html" title="Lasius fuliginosus - treasury, Heesch, Netherlands"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/64470_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1759968010&Signature=TjAkVl5jJooVumpOD%2FMmHEuaE24%3D" width="118" height="152" alt="Lasius fuliginosus - treasury, Heesch, Netherlands Another angle on this large and complicated ant nest reveals a room with many pupas. By the time I took the photo, already half of them were moved into safer rooms.<br /> <br /> Presumed species, I will check it with an expert. Note that I know very little about ants, so I may not use the right jargon in this series, so do correct me where I go wrong. <br /> <br /> I normally don&#039;t intervene with nature much on my hikes, meaning I don&#039;t do a lot of digging or turning over things. Yet on this day I saw a very rotten trunk stuck to the forest floor, so I tipped it over with my shoe, to see if perhaps some woodlice or beetles were below it. To my shock (and yes I felt guilty about it) I exposed a large ant colony and partly destroyed their carefully crafted tunnel system. So let us use my brutality to document about the species what we can.<br /> <br /> Ants seemingly don&#039;t waste a lot of time complaining about this external event, because the very second they were exposed, hundreds were frantically moving, each knowing exactly what to do next: secure the offspring. In this opening scene you get an overview, yet it doesn&#039;t show everything. Faintly in the back you see white larvae but there&#039;s more rooms to show.<br /> <br /> Start of this sequence:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64462/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Closeups of the immediate response:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64465/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64466/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_ii_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> There&#039;s more to the nest, a side view shows a nursery holding the larvae:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64468/jet_black_ants_-_nursery_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Taking a step back, we see multiple of such rooms:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64469/jet_black_ants_-_nurseries_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Hundreds of ants, if not thousands. Multiple rooms with larvae, at least one visible room with pupas. Cleaned up in minutes, not a single ant, larvae or pupa in sight, as if nothing happened:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64471/jet_black_ants_-_colony_rescued_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Some individuals:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64488/camponotus_vagus.html Europe,Heeswijk-Dinther,Netherlands,World" /></a></figure><br /> To right now is only 3 minutes. In a matter of minutes, hundreds of ants collectively secured all their larvae and pupas, and then secured themselves. As if nothing ever was here. Incredible team work, coordination and work ethic.<br /> Europe,Heeswijk-Dinther,Jet black ant,Lasius fuliginosus,Netherlands,World Click/tap to enlarge

Lasius fuliginosus - colony rescued, Heesch, Netherlands

This is the "after" shot of the nest I accidentally exposed by tipping over a rotten log. Note the timing of the photos. From this....

Lasius fuliginosus - exposed, Heesch, Netherlands Presumed species, I will check it with an expert. Note that I know very little about ants, so I may not use the right jargon in this series, so do correct me where I go wrong. <br /> <br /> I normally don't intervene with nature much on my hikes, meaning I don't do a lot of digging or turning over things. Yet on this day I saw a very rotten trunk stuck to the forest floor, so I tipped it over with my shoe, to see if perhaps some woodlice or beetles were below it. To my shock (and yes I felt guilty about it) I exposed a large ant colony and partly destroyed their carefully crafted tunnel system. So let us use my brutality to document about the species what we can.<br /> <br /> Ants seemingly don't waste a lot of time complaining about this external event, because the very second they were exposed, hundreds were frantically moving, each knowing exactly what to do next: secure the offspring. In this opening scene you get an overview, yet it doesn't show everything. Faintly in the back you see white larvae but there's more rooms to show.<br /> <br /> Closeups of the immediate response:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64465/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64466/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_ii_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> There's more to the nest, a side view shows a nursery holding the larvae:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64468/jet_black_ants_-_nursery_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Taking a step back, we see multiple of such rooms:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64469/jet_black_ants_-_nurseries_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> And even a pupa room:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64470/jet_black_ants_-_treasury_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Hundreds of ants, if not thousands. Multiple rooms with larvae, at least one visible room with pupas. Cleaned up in minutes, not a single ant, larvae or pupa in sight, as if nothing happened:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64471/jet_black_ants_-_colony_rescued_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Some individuals:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64488/camponotus_vagus.html Europe,Heeswijk-Dinther,Jet black ant,Lasius fuliginosus,Netherlands,World

...to this after situation is a mere 6 minutes. From this...

Lasius fuliginosus - treasury, Heesch, Netherlands Another angle on this large and complicated ant nest reveals a room with many pupas. By the time I took the photo, already half of them were moved into safer rooms.<br /> <br /> Presumed species, I will check it with an expert. Note that I know very little about ants, so I may not use the right jargon in this series, so do correct me where I go wrong. <br /> <br /> I normally don't intervene with nature much on my hikes, meaning I don't do a lot of digging or turning over things. Yet on this day I saw a very rotten trunk stuck to the forest floor, so I tipped it over with my shoe, to see if perhaps some woodlice or beetles were below it. To my shock (and yes I felt guilty about it) I exposed a large ant colony and partly destroyed their carefully crafted tunnel system. So let us use my brutality to document about the species what we can.<br /> <br /> Ants seemingly don't waste a lot of time complaining about this external event, because the very second they were exposed, hundreds were frantically moving, each knowing exactly what to do next: secure the offspring. In this opening scene you get an overview, yet it doesn't show everything. Faintly in the back you see white larvae but there's more rooms to show.<br /> <br /> Start of this sequence:<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64462/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Closeups of the immediate response:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64465/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64466/jet_black_ants_-_exposed_-_closeup_ii_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> There's more to the nest, a side view shows a nursery holding the larvae:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64468/jet_black_ants_-_nursery_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Taking a step back, we see multiple of such rooms:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64469/jet_black_ants_-_nurseries_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Hundreds of ants, if not thousands. Multiple rooms with larvae, at least one visible room with pupas. Cleaned up in minutes, not a single ant, larvae or pupa in sight, as if nothing happened:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64471/jet_black_ants_-_colony_rescued_heesch_netherlands.html<br /> Some individuals:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/64488/camponotus_vagus.html Europe,Heeswijk-Dinther,Netherlands,World

To right now is only 3 minutes. In a matter of minutes, hundreds of ants collectively secured all their larvae and pupas, and then secured themselves. As if nothing ever was here. Incredible team work, coordination and work ethic.

Sign in or Join in order to comment.

The Jet black ant

Lasius fuliginosus is a species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae. Workers have a black shiny colour and a length of about 4–6 mm, females are larger and small males reach a length of 4.5–5 mm. The head is heart-shaped.

Info 10 0
Similar species: Wasps, Bees, Sawflies And Ants
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
View Ferdy Christant's profile

By Ferdy Christant

All rights reserved
Uploaded Aug 6, 2018. Captured Jul 7, 2018 13:48.
country flag of Netherlands Explore Netherlands 8,314 2,306 0
  • NIKON D850
  • f/8.0
  • 1/160s
  • ISO64
  • 105mm