Whether in the forest, on the meadow or in the garden: Everywhere in summer it crawls and the ants make their way. But which species are they actually and which of them are native here?
In a nutshell
- 114 native species of ants
- Garden ants and the common lawn ant are particularly common
- in sparse forests, the large burrows of the wood ants are typical
- also many introduced species of ants
- these displace native species and are often combated as pests
Species native to Germany
There are around 114 native species of ants in Germany. We present the eight most common ones here.
Blood-red predator ant (Formica sanguinea)
This species of ant, native to Germany, is quite common depending on the region. In contrast to other species, the blood-red predatory ant does not live in the same nest all year round, but changes it depending on the season. Sometimes the colony moves back into old dwellings, but mostly they look for a completely new home.
Source: Garinger, Formica sanguinea 1, Adapted from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Look
The animals reach an average length of between five and nine millimeters. The bold red coloring of much of the body is their most distinctive feature.
way of life
Typical of blood-red predatory ants is their predatory way of life. The animals raid the nests of other species of ants, stealing their brood - eggs and pupae - for food and slavery. The nests of predatory ant colonies are mainly found well hidden in hedges and bushes.
Brown garden ant (Lasius brunneus)
The native brown garden ant is related to the black garden ant and, like them, feeds on the sweet excretions of the aphids.
Source: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, UK, Lasius brunneus. possibly (35487508610), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
Look
With a length of up to four millimeters for the workers and up to eight millimeters for the queens, the brown garden ant is about the same size as its closest relative, the black garden ant. However, you can tell the two species apart by their different coloring, because the brown garden ant is characterized by these external features:
- strikingly two-tone
- Head and abdomen dark
- other parts of the body yellowish-brown, brown-grey to reddish
- smooth, slightly shiny body
- close fitting hair
Notice: The two-colored house ant (Lasius emarginatus) looks very similar to the brown garden ant. However, this is somewhat narrower in physique.
Occurrence and way of life
This species is widespread in Europe and Asia and mainly inhabits sparse forests, forest edges and open areas with deciduous trees. Brown garden ants can also be found, for example, in parks, on orchards or on individual trees. Brown road ants nest in the rotten wood of trees, whereby their nests can be located in the root area or several meters above the ground.
Notice: Due to the very similar nature, however, it often happens that animals settle in building materials - such as plasterboard - and destroy it through their building activities. For this reason, the species is often perceived as a pest.
Yellow thief ant (Solenopsis fugax)
The yellow thief ant is the only ant species native to Germany that belongs to the genus of fire ants (Solenopsis). The animals prefer warm, dry and sparsely vegetated locations, and rocky or stony ground is also welcome. Depending on the region, the yellow thief ant is quite common at corresponding locations in central and southern Germany.
Source: Volker Borovsky, Solenopsis fugax male alates swarming at nest entrance 3, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Look
This native species is very small compared to other ant species, workers are only between one and a half and three millimeters long, while queens are up to 6.5 millimeters. The sexes also differ significantly in their coloring:
- Worker bees are light yellow in color
- Queens dark brown to black
- male animals as well as the queen dark
Notice: Like all fire ants, the yellow thief ant also has a poisonous sting, but its sting - in contrast to other members of its genus - is unpleasant but completely harmless.
way of life
Yellow thief ants do not bear their name without reason, because the animals live predatory lives. They raid the nests of larger ant species to capture their eggs, larvae and pupae. They also feed on small arthropods and carrion, as well as honeydew from aphids and scale insects that live underground. The nests are either underground in open spaces or protected by rocks.
Yellow Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus)
The yellow meadow ant is also a very common native ant species in Germany. There are some ant species that are very similar in appearance, with which it can be confused. However, a distinction can be made by closely observing the animals that live underground.
Source: AJC1 from UK, Angry Ant (Explored) (31456859231), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Look
This species grows between two and nine millimeters long, with the queens being considerably larger than the workers. Yellow meadow ants are pale yellow to yellow-brown in color and have very small eyes, which are reduced due to their predominantly underground lifestyle.
Happen
The yellow garden ant is distributed all over Europe and is often found on meadows and pastures, in parks and gardens as well as on lawns.
lifestyle and reproduction
The animals live almost exclusively underground and feed on tiny root lice. These are eaten, but usually carefully looked after and literally “milked” since the ants live on their sweet excretions called honeydew. Before winter, the ant brings its “pets” into its nest and in early spring brings them back to the food plants.
Their nests are typical and conspicuous: the mounds can reach up to half a meter in diameter and height and are often overgrown by grass. A single nest can house up to 100,000 worker bees, dedicated solely to laying eggs and other tasks such as foraging and defence. Only young queens and males have wings, which they use to swarm out on their nuptial flight, mainly on warm, mid-summer days.
Common lawn ant (Tetramorium caespitum)
The native common lawn ant is also one of the most common ant species found in Central Europe.
Source: AfroBrazilian, Tetramorium caespitum 03, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Look
The following physical characteristics are typical of the species:
- Workers: 2.5 to 4 millimeters in size
- Queen: six to eight millimeters long
- males: five to seven millimeters long
- Coloration: predominantly dark brown to black
- Antennae, mandibles and legs: yellowish brown
As with all ants, both the young queens and the males are equipped with wings, which they need for their nuptial flight.
Occurrence and way of life
The species prefers sunny, dry locations, with sandy and calcareous soils being particularly popular. Common pavement ants build their nests either in open areas or in areas sheltered by rocks, but always underground. The nest domes are usually clearly visible on the surface. The colonies can contain up to 80,000 ants, which are mostly from
- grains
- honeydew
- or carrion
feed.
Red wood ant (Formica rufa)
The red wood ant is one of the most common ant species in Germany. It is mainly found at the edges of forests and in sparse forests. The species mainly inhabits coniferous forests.
Source: Richard Bartz, Munich Makro Freak, A Formica rufa sideview, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Look
The red wood ant is between four and eleven millimeters long, whereby - as with all ant species - the queens are considerably longer than the workers. The species is easily recognized by its distinctive coloring:
- The back, chest and underside of the head are colored red
- Top of head black
- abdomen black
lifestyle and reproduction
In wind-protected, sunny locations, the red wood ant builds up to 1.5 meters high, dome-shaped clusters. The top layers, however, are covered with spruce needles and smaller pieces of twigs. The interior of the nest dome consists mostly of earth. The ant nest continues below the visible heap at a depth of up to two meters. There are also numerous chambers in the earth, which are connected to each other by passages. Depending on the stage of development and weather conditions, the eggs, larvae or pupae are transported to the most favorable nest area for them. Incidentally, a colony of up to 800,000 animals lives in a large anthill.
Notice: The red wood ant mainly eats insects and is considered extremely useful by capturing forest pests.
Black carpenter ant (Camponotus ligniperda)
The native black carpenter ant is one of the largest ant species in Germany. The species is thermophilic and both diurnal and nocturnal.
Source: Richard Bartz, Munich Makro Freak, Camponotus sideview 2, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Look
Black carpenter ants reach a length of between seven and 18 millimeters, with only the queen having such an impressive size. All animals of this species are colored as follows:
- Breast, legs, scales and front part of abdomen reddish brown
- hind part of abdomen shiny black
- head black
As with all ants, only the young queens and male animals, which are referred to as sexual animals, have wings.
Happen
The species is distributed over large parts of Central Europe and is usually quite common. Black carpenter ants inhabit sunny areas in deciduous and mixed forests, on forest edges, field margins and in bushy dry grasslands, especially in mountainous areas.
lifestyle and reproduction
The carpenter ant feeds mainly on aphid excretions, known as honeydew, but also eats insects and licks up plant sap. It lives in symbiosis with a type of bacteria: in the ant's digestive tract, the bacteria make important nutrients (amino acids) available to them and receive metabolic products in return. Nests are built in dead wood or on the ground under rocks and eventually continue underground.
Notice: There are several subspecies of carpenter ants, including the hairy carpenter ant (Camponotus vagus). This variety is uniformly black in color, densely hairy and easily confused with the slightly smaller black garden ant.
Black garden ant (Lasius niger)
The species is also known as the black garden ant. It is the most common ant species in Central Europe and can be quite annoying if it occurs frequently in the garden or house.
Source: Katja Schulz from Washington, D.C., USA, Black Garden Ant tending Citrus Mealybug (15876781048), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
Look
Black road ants are between three and nine millimeters long. This big difference is easily explained: The queens are eight to nine millimeters longer than the workers and also have a thick back of the head that is filled with eggs. The coloring of this ant species varies between dark brown and black, the silvery body hair is also typical. There is always some longer hair underneath.
Happen
The species is distributed all over Europe and often in forests, on meadows and fields, on paths, in parks and gardens. Sometimes against black road ants also in buildings. Most of the time, however, the colony lives under stones and wood, under tree bark and in crevices in walls.
lifestyle and diet
The garden ant feeds mainly on honeydew, which it taps off aphids. The ants keep them like farm animals, guard them and also defend them from predators. On warm midsummer days, the young queens and males swarm out. Unlike the workers, both have wings. The mated young queens set up a nest in which they lay their eggs while still raising the first generation of workers themselves.
Introduced species of ants
The following ant species are not native to Germany, but have been introduced here:
- Argentine ant
- leafcutter ants
- fire ants
- pharaoh ant
- black-head ant
- Fragrant house ant
Leafcutter Ant, Source: Clinton & Charles Robertson from RAF Lakenheath, UK & San Marcos, TX, USA & UK, Ant, Harvester (239161960), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
They are considered invasive and are fought as pests, especially since they endanger the existence of the original species by being crowded out.
frequently asked Questions
How many species of ants are there altogether?There are around 13,000 different ant species worldwide, most of which live in tropical regions of the world. Ants have existed since the time of the dinosaurs: the oldest fossil finds are 100 million years old and date from the Cretaceous period.
Can ant poison kill a human?Although native species can sting or bite unpleasantly, their venom is neither dangerous nor fatal to humans.
How long does an ant live?The life expectancy of an ant depends on various factors: species, social status and living conditions. A queen of the black garden ant can live up to 15 years, while that of a pharaoh ant only up to 12 months. Workers and male animals also die much earlier.