BRITAIN'S ANT FAUNA OF ABOUT 50 species is impoverished when compared to that of the tropics, with the famous biologist and ant expert E O Wilson once stating he could find as many species of ant on a single tree in the Peruvian Amazon as exist in the whole of the UK. However, what we lack in quantity we certainly make up for in quality, with wood ants surely the most charismatic of this instantly recognised but poorly understood group of social insects.
Of the six species of British wood ant, only three are commonly encountered: these being the southern, northern hairy and Scottish wood ant. While all look similar, they can be differentiated by the shape of and amount of hair on their heads. And except for a few places where the commonest species may overlap, perhaps the easiest way to know which wood ant species you're trying to identify is to consider its location.
The only true woodland ants in Britain, wood ants are also the largest, with many of the workers reaching about 10mm in length. They also form the most populous colonies, with some nests thought to contain over a quarter of a million individuals, with all being the progeny of a single egg-laying queen. Reaching well over a metre in height, their domed nests on the forest floor are an impressive sight, and perhaps even more so when you realise that the structure may well extend by as much again below ground.
Denne historien er fra Spring 2023-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Spring 2023-utgaven av BBC Wildlife.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Does cloning create identical copies?
EMBRYOS ARE MADE OF STEM CELLS that divide to give rise to different types of cells, everything from skin to brain cells. Scientists once thought that reproductive cloning creating a genetically identical copy of an individual organism - would be impossible without using stem cells and that the path leading to mature 'differentiated' cells was irreversible. But clawed frogs proved them wrong...
Tool-using animals
Our pick of 10 species that exhibit this special skill
Mission Blue
Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to marine conservation; she tells BBC Wildlife why protecting the ocean is essential to all life on earth
RESHARK
The world's first shark rewilding initiative has seen zebra sharks released in the waters of Indonesia's Raja Ampat archipelago
ON DECK
Ferries aren't just for transport, they're also perfect vessels for conservation
IT'S A COLOURFUL LIFE
Delve into the unique and complex biology of the clownfish, arguably the world's most famous fish
BAHAMAS BENEATH
A dive into the waters of this famous island nation with the creatures that call it home
"To save the reef, we need everybody involved"
Indigenous peoples may hold the key to protecting the Great Barrier Reef
SPINNING AROUND
Going around in circles proves fruitful for this filter-feeder
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
On balmy evenings, amorous beetles put on a spellbinding show in North American forests