Some very small ants, spotted on July 26th making their way up a stunted Oak tree on the Lesnes Abbey Woods heathland, and collected by Duncan Sivell of the British Museum of Natural History, have been formally confirmed as Temnothorax nylanderi by Ant recorder Mike Fox of the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society.
A worker Temnothorax nylanderi ant, foraging solo as is typical of the species, on an Oak tree on Lesnes Abbey Woods heathland. (Photo: Mick Massie)
The national distribution map for the species shows it concentrated in the south east of England, to the south west and north east of London. According to London Natural History Society’s Mick Massie ‘It is not terribly rare in the south east, but is not often seen or photographed.’ Mick’s photos will be used to illustrate the species on the BWARS website, where the existing information about it can be seen here:
http://www.bwars.com/index.php?q=ant/formicidae/dolichoderinae/temnothorax-nylanderi
