Ants. M. V. Brian

      

      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

      William Collins

       An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF 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.

       All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

      HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

      Source ISBN: 9780007308378

      Ebook Edition © DECEMBER 2018 ISBN: 9780007406470

      Version: 2019-01-09

      CONTENTS

       COVER

       TITLE PAGE

COPYRIGHT

COLOUR PLATES

PLATES

EDITORS’ PREFACE

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

1. Ants as insects

2. Ant structure

3. Types of British ant

       4. Feeding

       5. Nesting

       6. Numbers and survival

       7. Brood rearing

       8. Ant communities

       9. Ants and other animals

       10. Culture methods

       PICTURE SECTION

       BIBLIOGRAPHY

       DISTRIBUTION MAPS

       INDEX

       ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

COLOUR PLATES

       1. Myrmica lobicornis, Strongylognathus, Myrmecina, Tetramorium, Stenamma, Anergates, Monomorium, Solenopsis, Myrmica rubra, Leptothorax, Formicoxenus

       facing page

       2. Tapinoma, Lasius niger, Lasius flavus, Lasius fuliginosus, Formica rufa, Formica fusca

       Painted by Gordon Riley

PLATES

       1. Aphids in excavated Lasius flavus nest (Michael Tweedie)

       facing page

       Aphids attended by Myrmica workers (Michael Tweedie)

       2. Formica rufa workers tending aphid colony (Walther Rohdich/Frank W. Lane)

       Formica rufa worker “milking” an aphid (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.)

       3. Workers attacking a worm (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.)

       Workers attempting to immobilise a caterpillar (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane)

       4. Mound of Formica rufa (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.)

       Formica rufa on the surface of their nest (Michael Tweedie/N.H.P.A.)

       5. Workers of Formica rufa carrying a leaf (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.)

       Single worker carrying pine needle (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane

       6. Rubber cast of Tetramorium caespitum nest (M. V. Brian)

       Rubber cast of Lasius alienus nest (M. V. Brian)

       Rubber cast of Lasius niger nest (M. V. Brian)

       Rubber cast of Formica fusca nest (M. V. Brian)

       7. Worker of Formica rufa squirting a jet of formic acid (Raymond Kleboe/Radio Times Hulton Picture Library)

       Ant in defence attitude (Stephen Dalton/N.H.P.A.)

       Ant in threatening posture (Harold Doering/Frank W. Lane)