Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Small Black Ant)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesLasius niger (Small Black Ant)
GenusLasius (a genus of ants)
SubfamilyFORMICINAE (a subfamily of hymenopterans)
FamilyFORMICIDAE (ants)
SuperfamilyVESPOIDEA (wasps)
InfraorderAculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Lasius niger (Small Black Ant) :
1: Lasius niger (Small Black Ant)
19 Apr 2018 OSGR: SZ08 50° 40’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
on base ground near Wood Ant (Formica rufa) nest
Image 1: Worker - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Worker - lateral view - magnified - silver backgroundImage 3: Worker - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 4: Worker - head - anterior view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 5: Worker - hind-leg - femur and tibia - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 6: Worker - mid-leg - femur and tibia - microscope low magnification - silver background
2: Lasius niger (Small Black Ant)
20 Mar 2018 OSGR: SY67 50° 30’ N, 2° 30’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
Workers, in nest under a stone which was lying directly on the ground
Image 1: Worker - dorsal view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 2: Worker - lateral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 3: Worker - ventral view - highly enlarged - silver backgroundImage 4: Worker - head and pronotum - dorsal view - microscope low magnification - silver backgroundImage 5: Worker - head - dorsal view - microscope low magnification - silver background
3: Lasius niger (Small Black Ant) IDENTIFICATION UNCERTAIN
27 Jun 2011 OSGR: SY77 50° 30’ N, 2° 20’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
on Spear Thistle (Cirsium vulgare) with aphids
Image 1: Worker - dorsal view - magnified - white backgroundImage 2: Worker - dorso-lateral view - magnified - grey backgroundImage 3: Worker - fore-parts - anterior view - magnifiedImage 4: Worker - head - anterior view - magnifiedImage 5: Worker - lateral view - magnified - white backgroundImage 6: Worker - ventral view - magnified - white background
4: Lasius niger (Small Black Ant)
21 Jul 2000 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 20’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Male, indoors in mating swarm
Image 1: Male - dorsal viewImage 2: Male - head and antennae - lateralImage 3: Male - head and dorsum - dorsalImage 4: Male - lateral viewImage 5: Male - lateral view - close-up - magnified - grey backgroundImage 6: Male - lateral view - dark backgroundImage 7: Male - lateral view - pale backgroundImage 8: Male - thorax, head and antennae - dorsal - magnified
5: Lasius niger (Small Black Ant)
21 Jul 2000 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 20’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Female, indoors in mating swarm
Image 1: Female - acidopore - lateral viewImage 2: Female - acidopore - postero-ventral viewImage 3: Female - dorsal viewImage 4: Female - head - dorsal viewImage 5: Female - lateral viewImage 6: Female - thorax - lateral viewImage 7: Female - thorax - lateral view (2)

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Lush, M. Separating Lasius niger and Lasius platythorax workers sifolinia.blogspot.com/2008/09/separating-lasius-niger-and-lasius.html
Seiffert, B. 1991 Lasius platythorax n. sp., a Widespread Sibling Species of Lasius niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Entomol. Gener. Vol 16(1): 69-81.

Lasius niger (Small Black Ant) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Lasius niger (Small Black Ant)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 4 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Lasius niger (Small Black Ant)
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