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.
Tag Archives: entomology
Falling through the Cracks: iNaturalist Invertebrate Records in the UK
Joss Carr (Queen Mary University of London) discusses his MSc Research Project investigating the data quality of UK invertebrate records on iNaturalist.
Networking Nutrients: Nutrients as a Driver of Invertebrate Interactions
Jordan Cuff (Newcastle University) presents research integrating nutrients into networks to investigate the drivers and structures of entomological interactions.
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: Reefs From the Twilight Zone
Dr Clara Diaz (University of Plymouth) takes us on a journey into the mysterious world of mesophotic coral ecosystems and her work to study them in the Indian Ocean.
British Springtails: How Many Species Really Are There?
James McCulloch (National Springtail Recorder) discusses the constantly increasing species list for UK Collembola.
Community Voice Method: Engaging Local Communities in Turtle Conservation
Amdeep Sanghera discusses how island fishing communities are being engaged in the development of turtle conservation policy.
Insects That Live In The Sea: Why Are There Are So Few?
Prof Stuart Reynolds delves into the world of marine insects and why there are so few of them.
Insect Welfare: What Benefits Bugs?
Dr Meghan Barrett (Insect Welfare Research Society) explores insect sentience, pain and welfare considerations.
Joss’ Top 10 London Finds
Joss Carr (Junior Naturalist at the Biological Recording Company) discusses his top 10 finds in London.
Mobulid Rays in the Chagos Archipelago: Fisheries & Conservation Management
Dr Joanna Harris (The Manta Trust) discusses her research on manta Archipelago.
Biological Recording 