Species comparison

Formica cinerea vs Lasius niger

Side by side: difficulty, size, growth, climate, hibernation and nuptial flights, from the data and sources of each species sheet.

Head to head

Formica cinerea and Lasius niger compared fact by fact
Formica cinereaLasius niger
Keeping
Difficulty
5/7

Intermediate

Easier2/7

Beginner

Escape risk
High
LowerMedium
Diet
SugarInsects
SugarInsects
Best nests
Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest
Sandwich nest · Ytong nest · Acrylic nest
Colony
Growth
FasterVery fast
Moderate
Colony size
Reaches 10,000 workers
No data yet
Workers
4–8 mm

All the same size

3–5 mm

All the same size

Queen
8–11 mm
8–9 mm
Colony founding
Fully claustral

One or more queens

Fully claustral

One queen

Defense
Bites · Sprays formic acid
Bites · Sprays formic acid
Climate
Nest temperature
21–27 °C
23–25 °C
Nest humidity
50–60 %
40–60 %
Hibernation
5–8 °C

Oct – Mar

8–12 °C

Oct – Mar

Nuptial flights
Jun – Aug
Jul – Aug

Hot days · Calm weather

Native range
Europe, Asia
Europe, Asia

Size to scale

  • Formica cinerea

    Workers · 4–8 mm
    Queen · 8–11 mm

  • Lasius niger

    Workers · 3–5 mm
    Queen · 8–9 mm
10 mm: both species are drawn at the same scale

Their year side by side

  • Formica cinerea : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – Aug

  • Lasius niger : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jul – Aug

Months for temperate Europe and the Mediterranean. The weather decides the exact days, so flights can come earlier or later where you live.

How to tell them apart

Formica cinerea

Almost black workers with a silvery gray sheen, large eyes and dark reddish legs. They run very fast and on irregular paths, which makes them hard to follow.

  • Watch out Escapes are most likely during outworld maintenance, because the workers move so fast and irregularly: work calmly and keep an eye on every ant until the setup is closed again.
  • Tip A white Ytong nest suits this species well, because the almost black workers stand out against it and every chamber is easy to watch.

Lasius niger

Small workers that are uniformly dark brown to black with a slightly shiny body, among the commonest ants of gardens, lawns and pavements. Unlike Lasius emarginatus, there is no reddish color on the thorax.

  • Tip Use a soil-based sandwich nest to watch them dig their own tunnels, or a white Ytong nest, where the black workers stand out sharply.
  • Tip In the wild they milk aphids for honeydew, so they go wild for sweet food: keep honey, sugar water or ant jelly on offer and add a little protein, such as Gammarus or small insects, for the brood.

More comparisons

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with
Formica cinerea care guide Lasius niger care guide

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