The intricacies of insect life cycles continue to amaze me! Today I noticed a stream of black ants along the fence on the edge of our lane and decided to try and photograph them. I later identified them as the Jet Ant Lasius fuliginosus with their heart-shaped head and shiny black body. The Jet Ant queen is incapable of founding a colony on her own - she makes use of an existing Lasius umbratus nest, which in turn would have been founded in a Lasius niger nest. Not sure what they are carrying ?larvae -will update when find out!!
Too late to include this tale in my lecture at Paxton Pits tomorrow (Thursday 1st May) on the Amazing World of Insects (see poster) but certainly a candidate for later versions!!
