Ants are something that we can all recognise, but did you know there are more than 10,000 species of ant worldwide?

At the time of wrting, the Guernsey list includes 28 species, two of which were added in the last few years. As with many insect species, there is significant continental influence in the species present in the island.

Ants probably offer one of the more challenging insect species to identify, some such as Formica pratensis which can be found in large stick nests on the Guernsey cliffs are probably the easiest to identify with certainty, they are also very rare and now extinct in the UK. The numbers in Guernsey are fairly stable over the last few years but their habitat continues to be at risk of the ever encrouching Sour Fig which is slowly swallowing native species and habitats as well as everything which relies upon it.

Some species require measurements and comparisons between the size or width of parts of their anatomy to split species so it gets quite complex. Luckily there is a network of really helpful myrmecologists who are more than willing to receive a few specimens to assist with identification.

Many people view ants as an annoyance at a picnic or barbecue but in reality they have an extremely complex society which is well worth a few minutes of your time to read about.