The black garden ant (Lasius niger) is a formicine ant, the type species of the subgenus Lasius, found all over Europe and in some parts of North America and Asia. It is monogynous, meaning colonies have a single queen.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Caste | Monogyn |
| Queen phenotype | 7–9 mm long, colour black |
| Worker phenotype | 3–5 mm long, colour dark brown almost black |
| Soldier phenotype | N/A |
| Nest building | Nests underground, commonly under stones, but also in rotten wood |
| Nutrition | Nectar, small insects, seeds, will farm aphids |
Lasius niger colonies can reach in size up to around 15,000 workers but 4,000–7,000 is around average. A Lasius niger queen can live for around 12 years.
Lasius niger is host to a number of temporary social parasites of the Lasius mixtus group including Lasius mixtus and Lasius umbratus.
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