Mediterranean ants, new in the Netherlands


This 7 June 2016 video from the Netherlands shows a nest of Tapinoma nigerrimum ants; at 23 sec: milking of a coccid, at 1.09: male.

Translated from the Dutch entomologists of EIS Kenniscentrum Insecten:

30 May 2016 – In Wageningen a large colony has been found of Tapinoma nigerrimum ants, a species not previously seen in our country …

The colony of Tapinoma nigerrimum in Wageningen is located under a sidewalk and the adjacent walls of gardens. The species has all the characteristics which other invasive ants have. They are resistant to disruption and may thereby live close to humans, which may lead to towage to other areas.

In addition, there are a lot of egg-laying queens that can live together in a colony, and there is no aggression among workers who have descended from several queens. This enables them to achieve significant local densities, creating a super colony. The colony is found over a length of more than 120 meters!

Ants craft tiny sponges to dip into honey and carry it home: here.

How desert ants navigate walking backward, by Helen Thompson, 6:14pm, January 19, 2017: here.

2 thoughts on “Mediterranean ants, new in the Netherlands

  1. Pingback: Ants cooperating to get piece of bread into their nest | Dear Kitty. Some blog

  2. Pingback: Injured African ants brought back to nest to recover | Dear Kitty. Some blog

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