Lasius emarginatus
DifficultyBeginner · 3/7
Kept by BrumaSpecies comparison
Lasius emarginatus 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
| Lasius emarginatus | Fact | Lasius niger |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping | ||
| Difficulty | ||
3/7 Beginner | Difficulty | Easier2/7 Beginner |
| Escape risk | ||
Medium | Escape risk | Medium |
| Diet | ||
SugarInsects | Diet | SugarInsects |
| Best nests | ||
Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest | Best nests | Sandwich nest · Ytong nest · Acrylic nest |
| Colony | ||
| Growth | ||
FasterFast | Growth | Moderate |
| Colony size | ||
No data yet | Colony size | No data yet |
| Workers | ||
3–5 mm All the same size | Workers | 3–5 mm All the same size |
| Queen | ||
7–9 mm | Queen | 8–9 mm |
| Colony founding | ||
Fully claustral One queen | Colony founding | Fully claustral One queen |
| Defense | ||
Bites · Sprays formic acid | Defense | Bites · Sprays formic acid |
| Climate | ||
| Nest temperature | ||
21–27 °C | Nest temperature | 23–25 °C |
| Nest humidity | ||
50–60 % | Nest humidity | 40–60 % |
| Hibernation | ||
5–8 °C Oct – Mar | Hibernation | 8–12 °C Oct – Mar |
| Nuptial flights | ||
Jun – Aug | Nuptial flights | Jul – Aug Hot days · Calm weather |
| Native range | ||
Europe | Native range | Europe, Asia |
Size to scale
Lasius emarginatus
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 7–9 mmLasius niger
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 8–9 mm
Their year side by side
Lasius emarginatus : 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
Lasius emarginatus
Workers and queens have a clearly reddish thorax between a dark brown head and gaster, which sets them apart from the all-black Lasius niger. They are small, busy ants that dig complex tunnel systems in soil.
- Tip Because the colony grows fast, the brood needs a lot of protein: keep insects like crickets, worms or fruit flies coming alongside the sugar water.
- Tip A Ytong nest suits it well: it holds moisture, and the white surface contrasts with the dark head and gaster of the workers, so they are 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
Not sure which ant to keep?
Take the 1-minute species finder quiz and get matched with the perfect species for your experience, your space and what you'd love to watch.
