M. Brian - Collins New Naturalist Library

EDITORS:

John Gilmour M.A. V.M.H.

Margaret Davies D.Sc.

Kenneth Mellanby C.B.E. Sc.D.

PHOTOGRAPHIC EDITOR:

Eric Hosking O.B.E. Hon. F.R.P.S. F.I.I.P.

The aim of this series is to interest the general reader in the wild life of Britain by recapturing the inquiring spirit of the old naturalists. The editors believe that the natural pride of the British public in the native fauna and flora, to which must be added concern for their conservation, is best fostered by maintaining a high standard of accuracy combined with clarity of exposition presenting the results of modern scientific research.

William Collins

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF WilliamCollinsBooks.com

This eBook edition published by William Collins in 2018

© M. V. Brian The author asserts his moral rights to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication .

Source ISBN: 9780007308378

Ebook Edition © DECEMBER 2018 ISBN: 9780007406470

Version: 2019-01-09

COVER

TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT COPYRIGHT COPYRIGHT COLOUR PLATES PLATES EDITORS’ PREFACE AUTHOR’S PREFACE 1. Ants as insects 2. Ant structure 3. Types of British ant 4. Feeding 5. Nesting 6. Numbers and survival 7. Brood rearing 8. Ant communities 9. Ants and other animals 10. Culture methods PICTURE SECTION BIBLIOGRAPHY DISTRIBUTION MAPS INDEX ABOUT THE PUBLISHER William Collins An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF WilliamCollinsBooks.com This eBook edition published by William Collins in 2018 © M. V. Brian The author asserts his moral rights to be identified as the author of this work A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication . Source ISBN: 9780007308378 Ebook Edition © DECEMBER 2018 ISBN: 9780007406470 Version: 2019-01-09

COLOUR PLATES COLOUR PLATES 1. Myrmica lobicornis , Strongylognathus , Myrmecina , Tetramorium , Stenamma , Anergates, Monomorium , Solenopsis, Myrmica rubra , Leptothorax , Formicoxenus facing page 2. Tapinoma , Lasius niger, Lasius flavus , Lasius fuliginosus , Formica rufa , Formica fusca Painted by Gordon Riley

PLATES

EDITORS’ PREFACE

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

1. Ants as insects

2. Ant structure

3. Types of British ant

4. Feeding

5. Nesting

6. Numbers and survival

7. Brood rearing

8. Ant communities

9. Ants and other animals

10. Culture methods

PICTURE SECTION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DISTRIBUTION MAPS

INDEX

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

1. Myrmica lobicornis , Strongylognathus , Myrmecina , Tetramorium , Stenamma , Anergates, Monomorium , Solenopsis, Myrmica rubra , Leptothorax , Formicoxenus

facing page

2. Tapinoma , Lasius niger, Lasius flavus , Lasius fuliginosus , Formica rufa , Formica fusca

Painted by Gordon Riley

1. Aphids in excavated Lasius flavus nest ( Michael Tweedie )

facing page

Aphids attended by Myrmica workers ( Michael Tweedie )

2. Formica rufa workers tending aphid colony ( Walther Rohdich/Frank W. Lane )

Formica rufa worker “milking” an aphid ( Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

3. Workers attacking a worm ( Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

Workers attempting to immobilise a caterpillar ( Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane )

4. Mound of Formica rufa (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

Formica rufa on the surface of their nest ( Michael Tweedie/N.H.P.A. )

5. Workers of Formica rufa carrying a leaf ( Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

Single worker carrying pine needle ( Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane

6. Rubber cast of Tetramorium caespitum nest ( M. V. Brian )

Rubber cast of Lasius alienus nest ( M. V. Brian )

Rubber cast of Lasius niger nest ( M. V. Brian )

Rubber cast of Formica fusca nest ( M. V. Brian )

7. Worker of Formica rufa squirting a jet of formic acid ( Raymond Kleboe/Radio Times Hulton Picture Library )

Ant in defence attitude ( Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

Ant in threatening posture ( Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane )

8. Artificial nest containing Myrmica (Michael Tweedie )

Myrmica workers licking and feeding larvae ( Michael Tweedie )

Myrmica workers polishing larvae ( Michael Tweedie )

Myrmica nest showing clusters of eggs and pupae ( Michael Tweedie )

9. Winged sexuals and workers of Lasius flavus (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

Workers of Lasius flavus with large sexual larvae ( Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )

10. A worker Lasius niger dragging a cocoon ( Michael Tweedie )

Lasius niger worker with larva ( Michael Tweedie )

11. Lasius flavus mounds in limestone grassland ( M. V. Brian )

Close-up of Lasius flavus mound ( M. V. Brian )

12. Lasius flavus mounds in sandy soil ( M. V. Brian )

Close-up of Lasius flavus mound and heathers ( M. V. Brian )

13. Worker of Formica rufa being attacked by Lasius flavus (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A. )