The black garden ant, scientifically known as Lasius niger, is a common species found across Europe, parts of North America, South America, Asia, and Australasia. As a ubiquitous presence in gardens and urban environments, understanding their dietary habits is crucial for both managing their presence and appreciating their ecological role. This article delves into the intricate details of the Lasius niger diet, exploring their food preferences, foraging behavior, and nutritional needs throughout their life cycle.
Introduction to Lasius Niger
Lasius niger, also known as the common black ant, is a formicine ant and the type species of the subgenus Lasius. European species have been divided into two species: L. niger, found in open areas, and L. Colonies of Lasius niger typically range from 4,000 to 7,000 workers, but can reach 40,000 in rare cases. A Lasius niger queen can live up to 29 years, which is the longest recorded lifespan for any eusocial insect. In the early stages of founding, Lasius niger queens may coexist with two to three other queens in the nest, tolerating each other until the first workers emerge, after which they will likely fight until only one queen remains.
Physical Characteristics
- Queen: The queen can reach 6-9 mm in length.
- Workers: Workers are 3-5 mm long and dark glossy black.
- Males (Alates): Produced by queens when nuptial flights are approaching, they are 3.5-4.5 mm long, slim, and black, resembling a wasp with wing muscles.
Life Cycle
Lasius niger, like other ants, have four stages of development: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Lasius niger lay tiny, white, kidney-shaped eggs with a smooth, sticky surface. After hatching, Lasius niger proceed onto the larva stage, resembling tiny maggots. The larvae need to be fed by the queen (or workers in the case of an established colony). With each molt, the larvae grow hooked hairs which allow them to be carried in groups. Once the larva grows big enough it spins a cocoon around itself. Once the process is complete, the Lasius niger worker emerges from the cocoon. The first worker ants that emerge are very small compared to later generations. From this point on the queen's egg laying output will increase significantly, becoming the queen's sole function. The later generations of worker ants will be bigger, stronger and more aggressive because there is more nutrition for them at the larval stage. After several years, once the colony is well established, the queen will lay eggs that will become queens and males.
Nesting Habits and Habitat
Black ants prefer dry, warm spaces, favoring sunny locations. Their nests are often found outdoors in soil, often under sidewalks, driveways, and garden paths, or beneath paving slabs. You can sometimes spot a nest by the finely powdered soil that gathers around the small exit holes. Indoors, they may nest in house foundations, wall cavities, or behind appliances.
Natural Diet of Black Garden Ants
In natural settings, black ants exhibit a varied diet that caters to their energy needs and supports colony growth.
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Honeydew
One of the primary food sources for Lasius niger is honeydew, a sweet, sticky substance excreted by aphids and other sap-sucking insects. Black garden ants actively protect aphids to ensure a continuous supply of honeydew. This mutualistic relationship is a key component of their diet in natural environments.
Insects
Outside human habitation, they feed on many things: small live insects, dead insects, nectar, seeds, etc.
Nectar
Black garden ants are drawn to the delectable nectar on buds and the bases of many flowers. You may have seen ants sprawling all over the buds of peony plants. While it is true that the ants are feasting on the plant’s sweet nectar, they are also protecting the plant against destructive insects that may damage the plant.
Seeds
Seeds also constitute a part of the natural diet of black garden ants. They collect and consume seeds, contributing to seed dispersal.
Diet in Urban Environments
In urban environments, black garden ants adapt their diet to available food sources, often leading them into human habitats.
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Sugary Substances
Around homes, they are drawn to sugary spills, fruit, and food waste. Black garden ants exhibit a strong preference for sugary substances, which provide them with quick energy.
High-Protein Foods
They’ll also take high-protein items, especially when the colony is raising larvae. High-protein foods are essential for the growth and development of ant larvae, driving the workers to seek out these resources.
Nutritional Needs at Different Life Stages
The dietary needs of black garden ants vary depending on their life stage and role within the colony.
Queen
Until the eggs hatch and the larvae grow to maturity, a Lasius niger queen will not eat, relying on the protein of her wing muscles to be broken down and digested. After the initial period of starvation, the queen requires a steady supply of nutrients to sustain egg production. Once the colony is well established, the queen will lay eggs that will become queens and males.
Larvae
The larvae need to be fed by the queen (or workers in the case of an established colony) if they are to mature. They require a diet rich in proteins and sugars to facilitate their growth and development.
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Workers
Workers need sufficient food to maintain energy levels for foraging, nest maintenance, and brood care.
Foraging Behavior
Understanding the foraging behavior of Lasius niger is crucial for comprehending how they locate and exploit food sources.
Scent Trails
Well-defined trails may appear along walls or across floors as foraging ants move to and from food sources. They are usually found in large numbers, either around their nests in the soil or following each other along their scent trails across the ground and paved areas, over walls and into buildings.
Food Preferences
When they get honey, honey mixed with water, fruits like strawberries/peaches/pears/apples they are not really interested, a few workers circle around and they nibble a little (unless they had 2-3 days break with no food, then there is more interest). But when they get simple sugar mixed with water or sugar+water+honey they go crazy and literally like half of colony shows up and they drink the droplets really quickly. Black garden ants exhibit a preference for simple sugars, which provide them with a readily available energy source.
The Role of Ants in the Ecosystem
Black garden ants play several beneficial roles in the ecosystem.
Pest Control
Ants are our partners in the garden and are often unrecognized for everything they do behind the scenes to aid in the success of a healthy garden. It might be surprising to discover just how much they assist in making our environments and gardens functional. Some ant varieties are predatory in nature and actually seek out and devour garden pests such as aphids, fly larvae, and fleas.
Pollination
Black garden ants help spread pollen from flower to flower, much like the bees do.
Soil Aeration
Ants tunnel through the ground, moving large amounts of dirt underground, hauling twenty times their weight as they work.
Seed Dispersal
Black garden ants distribute seeds from place to place, propagating new growth.
Food Source
As part of the food chain and our functioning ecosystem, black garden ants are actually an essential food source for birds, spiders, fish, frogs, lizards, other insects, and even some mammals.
Waste Management
Many species of ants eat dead insects and funguses.
Potential Problems Caused by Ants
While ants offer numerous benefits, they can also pose problems in certain situations.
Structural Damage
The carpenter ant is a black ant that eats wood and can cause significant damage to wooden structures such as homes, sheds, wooden garden boxes, and fences.
Nuisance
Even ants with the best of intentions can be a nuisance in the garden if there are hoards of them present.
Prevention and Management
Knowing where black garden ants live and what they eat can help with prevention.
Diatomaceous Earth
Sprinkling nuisance ants with the fine powder made from ground-up shells of microscopic creatures can damage the body of the ants.
Mutualistic Relationships
The Plebejus argus butterfly lays eggs near nests of L. niger, forming a mutualistic relationship. Once the eggs hatch, the ants chaperone the larvae, averting the attacks of predatory organisms like wasps and spiders as well as parasites.