Lasius emarginatus
DifficultyBeginner · 3/7
Kept by BrumaSpecies comparison
Lasius emarginatus vs Tetramorium caespitum
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 | Tetramorium caespitum |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping | ||
| Difficulty | ||
Easier3/7 Beginner | Difficulty | 4/7 Beginner |
| Escape risk | ||
LowerMedium | Escape risk | High |
| Diet | ||
SugarInsects | Diet | SugarInsects |
| Best nests | ||
Ytong nest · Sandwich nest · Acrylic nest | Best nests | Acrylic nest · Test tube setup · Naturalistic setup |
| Colony | ||
| Growth | ||
Fast | Growth | Fast |
| Colony size | ||
No data yet | Colony size | No data yet |
| Workers | ||
3–5 mm All the same size | Workers | 2–4 mm All the same size |
| Queen | ||
7–9 mm | Queen | 6–8 mm |
| Colony founding | ||
Fully claustral One queen | Colony founding | Fully claustral One queen |
| Defense | ||
Bites · Sprays formic acid | Defense | Bites · Stings |
| Climate | ||
| Nest temperature | ||
21–27 °C | Nest temperature | 21–27 °C |
| Nest humidity | ||
50–60 % | Nest humidity | 50–60 % |
| Hibernation | ||
5–8 °C Oct – Mar | Hibernation | 5–8 °C Oct – Mar |
| Nuptial flights | ||
Jun – Aug | Nuptial flights | Jun – Aug |
| Native range | ||
Europe | Native range | Europe |
Size to scale
Lasius emarginatus
Workers · 3–5 mmQueen · 7–9 mmTetramorium caespitum
Workers · 2–4 mmQueen · 6–8 mm
Their year side by side
Lasius emarginatus : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – Aug
Tetramorium caespitum : Hibernation: Oct – Mar, Nuptial flights: Jun – 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.
Tetramorium caespitum
Tiny dark brown to blackish workers with fine ridges on the head and thorax, a smooth shiny gaster and a waist made of two small segments. A pair of short spines sticks out at the back of the thorax.
- Watch out These ants are masters at finding gaps, so pick an acrylic or test tube-based nest whose layers fit tightly together, and check every join of a naturalistic enclosure.
- Tip Give this fast grower plenty of protein: once the first workers are out, regular insects feed the queen and the brood.
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