Lasius meridionalis is a rare, small yellow ant superficially similar to the common L. flavus (Fabricius). It can be difficult to separate it from the similar L. mixtus (Nylander), L. sabularum (Bondroit) and L. umbratus (Nylander). It is a temporary social parasite.

Lasius mixtus workers are small and yellowish. The petiole is low with an emarginate dorsal border. There are no standing hairs on scapes or front tibia and body hairs are shorter than L. flavus (Fabricius). Queens are brownish black with head about as broad as alitrunk. Males are brownish black with weakly dentated mandibles.

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.