About Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758)
The black garden ant, whose scientific name is Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758), is also commonly called the common black ant. It is a formicine ant and the type species of the genus Lasius. This ant species is distributed across Europe, and also occurs in some parts of North America, South America, Asia and Australasia. The original European taxon was split into two separate species: Lasius niger, which lives in open areas, and Lasius platythorax, which inhabits forest habitats. Lasius niger is monogynous, which means established colonies contain only a single queen. Colonies of Lasius niger typically hold between 4,000 and 7,000 workers, though rare colonies can reach as many as 40,000 workers. A Lasius niger queen can live up to 29 years, which is the longest recorded lifespan of any eusocial insect. During the early nest-founding stage, a Lasius niger nest may hold two to three founding queens together. These queens tolerate each other until the first workers hatch, after which they typically fight until only one queen remains. Under laboratory conditions, Lasius niger workers can live for at least four years. Lasius niger acts as a host for the silver-studded blue butterfly Plebejus argus. It is also a host for multiple temporary social parasites belonging to the Lasius mixtus group, including Lasius mixtus and Lasius umbratus.
