Lasius alienus (Cornfield Ant)

Lasius alienus (Cornfield Ant)
 
This is a small, slender, dark brown/black coloured species. It's typically associated with very numerous and large colonies that are commonly found when disturbing paving slabs found in gardens or nearby parks. This species is often found colonising both urban and rural areas, making it a very succesful species. Although in the UK particularly, these are often found in rural or semi-rural environments such as forests and grasslands.
 
They have an incredibly wide distribution that spans Asia, Europe and America. 
 
Due to their large colony size and behaviour, these are often able to recruit hundreds of workers in a matter of seconds to pin down prey or transport valuable resources to the nest. 
 
In the wild, nests are often found amongst low lying shrubs and ground dwelling plants typically associated with urban habitats. Particularly under stones and slabs or more increasingly, in crevices, such as in exterior, south facing man-made walls. 
 
They are a generally docile species of ant that is suitable for beginners and experienced alike.  
 
In terms of growth they are quite fast to develop once the colony reaches 20 workers and over. Due to the nature of their natural environment, these ants are mainly active throughout the year but would benefit from a short period of hibernation from December - March. 
 
It is illegal and strictly frowned upon to release any non-native ants into the wild.