Driver ants, forming colonies of up to 20 million, are fascinating yet poorly understood. They engage in large raids, with workers of various sizes serving specific roles. Although their interactions with other species remain largely unexplored, studies are ongoing to clarify their ecological behaviors and dynamics as social insects. In this entoLIVE webinar, Max Tercel shared his research findings exploring the ecology of these fascinating ants.
Author Archives: Joss Carr
The Shining Guest Ant: An Unexpected Houseguest
The Shining Guest Ant (Formicoxenus nitidulus) is a tiny and elusive ant that lives as an uninvited but harmless ‘guest’ in the nests of much larger Wood Ants (Formica rufa group). For a new Shining Guest Ant queen, establishing a colony is a challenging task. To avoid the inbreeding risk of saying local, she must disperse and not only find the right woodland habitat, but also locate a suitable new host nest. Because of their secretive nature and small size, these ants are underrecorded and their movements are poorly understood. In this entoLIVE webinar, Elva shared new, surprising research about Shining Guest Ant queens’ ability to find new homes, and provided tips on how to spot these elusive creatures on your next walk in the woods.
Wild Tolworth Biological Recording
As part of the Wild Tolworth project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Biological Recording Company ran seven Field Recorder Days at Tolworth Court Farm in 2024 and 2025. Across these events, 186 participants generated 825 biological records across various species, including pollinators, grasses, dragonflies, fungi, and beetles.
Southwark Biological Recording Project
Between June and October 2025, the Biological Recording Company delivered 5 training and recording events in Southwark, focusing on bees, beetles, botany, and earthworms. Participants worked together to generate numerous new species records, including 384 beetle occurrences, 577 plant records, and 55 earthworm records.
Recording Plant Galls at Lesnes Abbey Woods
Discover what was found during the 2025 Plant Gall Field Recorder Day at Lesnes Abbey Woods in this blog. Led by gall specialist Tommy Root, 17 participants explored the ancient woodland to identify and document plant galls created by a variety of species. By the end, the group had recorded 44 gall-causing species and collected 187 individual records, adding valuable data to local biodiversity monitoring.
Recording London’s Fungi
In October 2025, we ran two Fungi Field Recorder Days in London at Tolworth Court Farm and Lesnes Abbey Woods. A fascinating diversity of fungi were found – from boletes to brackets and inkcaps to staghorns. The events generated valuable new biological records for these precious green spaces, and promoted mycology and biodiversity appreciation among participants.
More Moths Please! Breeding and Reintroducing the Dark Bordered Beauty
Georgina Lindsay (RZSS) discusses the conservation breeding and reintroduction of the Endangered Dark Bordered Beauty moth in Scotland.
Getting to Know Weevils
Mark Gurney (UK Weevil Recording Scheme) provides an introduction to this adorable, fascinating and diverse group of beetles in the UK.
From Strandline to Science: The Journey of a Shark Eggcase
Joss Carr (Queen Mary University of London) discusses his MSc Research Project investigating the data quality of UK invertebrate records on iNaturalist.
Syrph-ing the Continents: Hoverflies, Our Unsung Agricultural Heroes
Samm Reynolds (University of Guelph) explores the ecosystem services and long-distance migration of hoverflies.
Biological Recording 