Aptly named a ‘thief ant’, S. fugax preys on the brood of larger ants. It is seldom seen above ground.The aggressive yellow or brownish-yellow workers are small (1.5-3.0mm long), but the blackish brown females and black males are considerably larger (6.0-6.5mm and 4.0-4.8mm, respectively) (Collingwood 1979). S. fugax is the sole representative of its genus in Britain.

Together with all but one of the ants previously included in Leptothorax (Myrafant), this species is now placed in Temnothorax (Bolton 2003). Queens and the small pale yellow to yellowish-brown workers are immediately distinguishable from other British and Channel Islands Temnothorax species by having antennal clubs the same colour as the rest of the antennae. The workers are also distinguishable by their possession of a mesopropodeal furrow - seen in profile as a depression on the dorsal surface of the alitrunk separating the mesonotum and propodeum. Individuals… Read more

This species previously included in the genus Leptothorax (Myrafant) is now placed in the genus Temnothorax (Bolton 2003). The small brownish-yellow workers of T. unifasciatus may be distinguished from those of the three similar British and Channel Islands species - T. albipennis, T. interruptus and T. nylanderi - by their possession of a clearly-defined, continuous dark band across the first gastral tergite.

One of the mound-building ‘wood ants’ (Formica s. str.), F. pratensis has always been the least frequently recorded species of this group in Britain. The confused nomenclature of the four British representatives of this group, and the morphological distinctions between them, have been considered by Yarrow (1955). In Europe, two forms of F. pratensis may be recognised (Kutter 1977; Seifert 1996). Although these have been treated as separate species (F. pratensis and F. nigricans) by some authors, Bolton (1995) and Seifert (1996) include them both… Read more

Previously known as Leptothorax interruptus this species is now placed in Temnothorax (Bolton 2003). Although widely distributed in Europe, this ant is nowhere common. The small, brownish-yellow workers may be distinguished from those of the three similar British and Channel Islands species - T. albipennis, T. nylanderi and T. unifasciatus - by their combination of relatively long and typically incurved pronotal spines, darkened antennal clubs, and the possession of a dark band, interrupted in the middle, on the first gastral tergite.

This species was taxonomically confused as a variety of Formica fusca L. or as a synonym of F. rufibarbis until revised by Yarrow (1954). Formica cunicularia includes two variety names of F. fusca: vars. glebaria and rubescens given to workers which are not entirely black as is typical of F. fusca, but which have some red on the sides of the head (glebaria) or with reddish legs and thorax as well (rubescens). They are clearly not as shiny black when compared with F. fusca and are distinguished from F.… Read more