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Collins New Naturalist Library
M. V. Brian
Ants should provide both the amateur naturalist and the professional zoologist with a valuable source of reference, and a fascinating account of the lives of an intriguing group of insects.Ants have always exercised a fascination that extends beyond the world of biology. They have attracted the attention of poets and dramatists, and also of those philosophers and political theorists who have envied their apparent industry and rigid and complex communal organisation. The social life of ants is indeed extraordinary. It forms the basis of their entire lives; an ant on its own has no chance of survival. Ants are the only group of insects in which there are no solitary species at all.In this book Dr Brian, the country's leading authority on ants, brings together the results of recent research (much of it his own) into the zoology, ecology and social life of the group. Dr Brian begins by discussing the relationship of ants to other insects, their anatomy and physiology, and then turns to the different species of British ant (with an identification key), feeding, including aphid 'farming' and the specialised role of the workers in acting as travelling food containers for the nest itself, the rearing of the young and the different caste systems (including the life history of the queen), the ecological significance of ants, and the role they play in the lives of other animals. Particular attention is paid to the importance of communication in the ant society, and there is a complete section of distribution maps - one for each of the 47 British Species - compiled according to the latest available data. There are 16 plates of black and white photographs and two colour plates of ant species specially painted for this volume by Gordon Riley.This book should provide both the amateur naturalist and the professional zoologist with a valuable source of reference, and a fascinating account of the lives of an intriguing group of insects.
EDITORS:
John Gilmour M.A. V.M.H.
Margaret Davies D.Sc.
Kenneth Mellanby C.B.E. Sc.D.
PHOTOGRAPHIC EDITOR:
Eric Hosking O.B.E. Hon. F.R.P.S. F.I.I.P.
The aim of this series is to interest the general reader in the wild life of Britain by recapturing the inquiring spirit of the old naturalists. The editors believe that the natural pride of the British public in the native fauna and flora, to which must be added concern for their conservation, is best fostered by maintaining a high standard of accuracy combined with clarity of exposition presenting the results of modern scientific research.
COPYRIGHT (#ulink_aca5d029-41fb-5a56-b65c-0cade9e3dbbb)
William Collins
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF WilliamCollinsBooks.com (http://WilliamCollinsBooks.com)
This eBook edition published by William Collins in 2018
© M. V. Brian The author asserts his moral rights to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Source ISBN: 9780007308378
Ebook Edition © DECEMBER 2018 ISBN: 9780007406470
Version: 2019-01-09
CONTENTS
COVER (#ue6d668d5-15a3-5f65-bb2a-2bb9b924cb1c)
TITLE PAGE (#u68df03a6-43a7-5283-bf88-ce0d4728119c)
COPYRIGHT (#ulink_6c008132-4dcc-5564-9c85-ed436b4814e0)
COLOUR PLATES (#ulink_bb7c6e3f-447c-5fe0-8108-b1c0e2f77a01)
PLATES (#ulink_b3d8eac6-c8ca-5f8c-87a6-dee27272712f)
EDITORS’ PREFACE (#ulink_099b1571-0784-53f0-b31e-1ff065b71806)
AUTHOR’S PREFACE (#ulink_c24fcbfc-f821-57a6-912d-d662c7489956)
1. Ants as insects (#ulink_8bac47d7-d76e-5584-bcca-283f04468733)
2. Ant structure (#ulink_042008c7-1c6f-5719-8609-12dd8fc58df9)
3. Types of British ant (#ulink_b2b2b337-0fba-5b83-a782-aff104b889a2)
4. Feeding (#ulink_404a0eb4-c5e1-5c68-a7e8-173c1723bbe8)
5. Nesting (#litres_trial_promo)
6. Numbers and survival (#litres_trial_promo)
7. Brood rearing (#litres_trial_promo)
8. Ant communities (#litres_trial_promo)
9. Ants and other animals (#litres_trial_promo)
10. Culture methods (#litres_trial_promo)
PICTURE SECTION (#litres_trial_promo)
BIBLIOGRAPHY (#litres_trial_promo)
DISTRIBUTION MAPS (#litres_trial_promo)
INDEX (#litres_trial_promo)
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER (#litres_trial_promo)
COLOUR PLATES (#ulink_8e35b59d-ddb3-5031-9b9e-710b14cd7a55)
1. Myrmica lobicornis, Strongylognathus, Myrmecina, Tetramorium, Stenamma, Anergates, Monomorium, Solenopsis, Myrmica rubra, Leptothorax, Formicoxenus (#litres_trial_promo)
facing page
2. Tapinoma, Lasius niger, Lasius flavus, Lasius fuliginosus, Formica rufa, Formica fusca (#litres_trial_promo)
Painted by Gordon Riley
PLATES (#ulink_32bd557e-9aa7-587a-83d2-4a65aba93dcc)
1. Aphids in excavated Lasius flavus nest (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
facing page
Aphids attended by Myrmica workers (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
2. Formica rufa workers tending aphid colony (Walther Rohdich/Frank W. Lane) (#litres_trial_promo)
Formica rufa worker “milking” an aphid (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
3. Workers attacking a worm (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Workers attempting to immobilise a caterpillar (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane) (#litres_trial_promo)
4. Mound of Formica rufa (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Formica rufa on the surface of their nest (Michael Tweedie/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
5. Workers of Formica rufa carrying a leaf (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Single worker carrying pine needle (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane (#litres_trial_promo)
6. Rubber cast of Tetramorium caespitum nest (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
Rubber cast of Lasius alienus nest (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
Rubber cast of Lasius niger nest (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
Rubber cast of Formica fusca nest (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
7. Worker of Formica rufa squirting a jet of formic acid (Raymond Kleboe/Radio Times Hulton Picture Library) (#litres_trial_promo)
Ant in defence attitude (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Ant in threatening posture (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane) (#litres_trial_promo)
8. Artificial nest containing Myrmica (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
Myrmica workers licking and feeding larvae (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
Myrmica workers polishing larvae (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
Myrmica nest showing clusters of eggs and pupae (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
9. Winged sexuals and workers of Lasius flavus (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Workers of Lasius flavus with large sexual larvae (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
10. A worker Lasius niger dragging a cocoon (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
Lasius niger worker with larva (Michael Tweedie) (#litres_trial_promo)
11. Lasius flavus mounds in limestone grassland (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
Close-up of Lasius flavus mound (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
12. Lasius flavus mounds in sandy soil (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
Close-up of Lasius flavus mound and heathers (M. V. Brian) (#litres_trial_promo)
13. Worker of Formica rufa being attacked by Lasius flavus (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Workers of Formica rufa attacking a hostile alien (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
14. Formica rufa worker swollen with honey-dew (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Food exchange between Formica rufa workers (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
15. Workers of Formica rufa restraining winged sexual (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Winged sexual captured by workers (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
Workers of Formica rufa capturing a fly (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.) (#litres_trial_promo)
16. Formica rufa worker carrying another (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane) (#litres_trial_promo)
Formica rufa worker carrying a worm (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane) (#litres_trial_promo)
EDITORS’ PREFACE (#ulink_4b25ae85-788c-567f-9347-b90e233f8d76)
This series has always tried to give a balanced and authoritative account of a subject of interest to the general reader who is concerned with the countryside, and who wishes to know more about its fauna and flora. In Dr M. V. Brian we have an author who is recognized as the foremost authority in Britain on ants. Over a period of nearly thirty years, first as a lecturer in zoology in the University of Glasgow, and since 1953 with the Nature Conservancy at Furzebrook Research Station in Dorset, he has studied social insects in general and ants in particular. His most intensive studies in recent years have been on the heathlands of southern England, but he is also familiar with the species restricted to other parts of the country. He has written more than seventy original scientific papers describing his research, and has clearly contributed greatly to the advancement of knowledge of this group.
Since biblical days, ants have interested the general public as well as the specialist entomologist. The insects’ apparent industry has endeared them to the moralist, and has been equated with virtue and prudence in the fables of many cultures. Parables based on ants are thus widespread, not only in scripture but in the tales of such writers as Aesop and La Fontaine. This has given rise to a general belief that ants are beneficial insects whose presence should always be encouraged. On the other hand gardeners from their own observations may be more doubtful, particularly when ants invade and infest their houses. Picnickers in our woods who sit near – or even on – an ant hill may feel rather differently. All country dwellers are aware of ants, but few have any accurate information on the subject, and many widely accepted legends have little foundation in fact. We believe that this book will therefore fill a real demand, by giving the sort of information that has so far been difficult to obtain.
Dr Brian draws continually in his text on his personal experiences and on the brilliant investigation he himself has made. At the same time he would be the first to insist that no one person could do more than a fraction of the research necessary for the writing of a book like this. He clearly has to depend on the work of many others, and the reader will notice that though he treats others’ findings with the same rigorous criticism he reserves for his own observations, he also gives them the fullest credit when it is deserved. He has therefore produced a readable and informative book which describes the nature and behaviour of ants and their importance in the ecology of our countryside.
AUTHOR’S PREFACE (#ulink_08d06aab-f785-5a67-b741-acc072c4fe82)
This book is about the natural history of the ants that occur in the British Isles. Most of the species have wide temperate Eurasian distributions and, though unspectacular compared with some tropical types, play an important part in terrestrial ecosystems. The book attempts to bring together much recent work on their ecology and general biology and is, I hope, written in a way that will interest and be of use to all naturalists.
A reading list is added to guide anyone who wishes to go further. No references are given and I am thus particularly indebted to the many workers in this field whose publications have supplied the basic material of this book. Technical names for structural features are explained in a series of figures, the main elements of which have been extracted from Charles Janet’s detailed drawings published at the turn of the century.
At the last moment it was possible to improve the book enormously by including distribution maps prepared by the Biological Records Centre. The information was collected and collated by Mr K. E. J. Barrett, who introduces them.
I should like to thank my wife for reading the manuscript and discussing it with me.
M. V. Brian
November 1976
Furzebrook, Wareham, Dorset
