Black garden ant
species of insect
The black garden ant (Lasius niger), also known as the common black ant, is a formicine ant, the type species of the genus Lasius, which is found across Europe and in some parts of North America, and believed to inhabit certain parts of Asia. The European species was split into two species; L. niger, which is found in open areas; and L. platythorax, which is found in forest habitats. It is monogynous, meaning colonies contain a single queen.
Lasius niger colonies normally range from 4,000 to 7,000 workers, but can reach 40,000 in rare cases. An L. niger queen can live for up to 29 years, the longest recorded lifespan for any eusocial insect. Lasius niger queens in the early stages of founding can have two to three other queens in the nest. They will tolerate each other until the first workers come, then it is most likely they will fight until one queen remains. Under laboratory conditions, workers can live at least four years.
Lasius niger is host to the silver-studded blue butterfly Plebejus argus; it is also host to a number of temporary social parasites of the Lasius mixtus group, including Lasius mixtus and Lasius umbratus.
Appearance
Life cycle
Mating flights
Ants mate on the wing, so "flying ants" are alates (reproductive individuals), which include males and gynes (virgin queens).
“Black garden ant” enters the record as species of insect. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Black, garden and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Black garden ant” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Black, garden and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q839823. The Library of Congress control number is sh93006733. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Black garden ant”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Black garden ant primary sources, Black garden ant archive and Black research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Black garden ant”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Black garden ant” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.