Insect
Black Garden Ant
Lasius nigerAlso known as Common Black Ant
Black garden ants are meticulous architects that construct extensive subterranean galleries beneath garden stones and sun-warmed turf. Colonies center around a single queen that can survive for decades, while sterile female workers manage nursery chambers and herd sap-feeding aphids for honeydew. On warm, humid summer afternoons, synchronized nuptial flights send millions of winged virgins into the sky to mate and disperse.
ColonialSocialOmnivorous
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAphid honeydew, Small insects, Floral nectar
Predators
- European Green Woodpecker
- Common Toad
- Jumping Spiders
ThreatsChemical pesticides, severe paving, and soil compaction
HabitatsGardens, lawns, meadows, pastures, and urban pavement cracks
Life spanWorkers live 1–2 years; queens can live up to 20–29 years
Classification
- OrderHymenoptera
- FamilyFormicidae
- GenusLasius
- SpeciesLasius niger
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Trail tracking: Follow worker scent trails across garden paving to locate their underground entrance.
- Mutualism watching: Inspect tender plant stems to watch workers stroking aphids to gather sugary honeydew.
Image unavailableSocial Parasite 
Symbiont (c) Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas · cc-byClose Relative Close Relative
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