Lasius neglectus, the invasive garden ant, is a small brown ant, superficially similar in appearance and behaviour to the common black garden ant Lasius niger (L.). Unlike L. niger, which is monogynous (each nest with a single queen) and has adjacent nests that compete with one another, L. neglectus is polygynous (each nest has many queens) and has adjacent nests that do not compete with each other. This ant probably originated from Asia Minor or Turkey (Seifert, 2000) and is thought to have been introduced into Europe with horticultural materials (… Read more

Lasius alienus is a small brown to dark brownish ant. The scapes and tibia have no erect hairs.

Until Seifert (1992) split this species, small brown to dark brownish Lasius ants with no erect hairs on the scapes and tibia were recorded as Lasius alienus (Foerster). Early records which could be either Lasius alienus or L. psammophilus Seifert, and which have not been re-examined should be denoted Lasius alienus agg. There is now a third dark Lasius species with no standing hairs on the scapes and tibia recognised in Britain… Read more

This species closely resembles several other small Sphecodes species and is best identified from characters of the male genitalia.

This is a very similar bee to the common Sphecodes geoffrellus (Kirby) and confusion, particularly in the female, most probably occurs.

BWARS has not yet produced an account for this species.

Read about recent records of this species in Britain here.

We plan to complete the process of producing accounts for all British and Irish species eventually. Meanwhile, on this page you can find at least a provisional distribution map, any images BWARS has procured for the species and a list of known synonyms (names previously applied to this species). The work of mapping aculeate Hymenoptera, plus describing their life histories, is the major activity that BWARS… Read more