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Originally found at a Dukeries Garden Centre in late August 2024, this Tapinoma
species was found to be present in extremely large numbers and continues to be
present on site. The colony was originally thought to be based in a
newly renovated greenhouse, but survey work in early 2025 suggests that
the colony, or likely multiple budded colonies, are located within an
old, south-facing brick wall surrounding the garden centre,
which is several metres high.
It was the sheer number of ants following long, distinct trails in a
range of directions, both inside the glasshouses and along and up the
surrounding walls outside, that prompted me to think that this was a more interesting
species and not just
Lasius niger. General overall shape and behavioural differences
(jizz) led to me collecting numerous specimens for identification. These
were sent off to several UK based experts and Matt Hamer in Hong Kong.
Max Barclay of the Natural History Museum, also very kindly arranged for specimens
to be sent for DNA analysis and the preliminary results so far (November
2025) suggest that
these ants are indeed Tapinoma magnum. Coincidentally, this
news came on the very day as I found another substantial colony
(presumably of this same Tapinoma sp) a few miles north of the
Dukeries Garden Centre, at the Sandy Lane Retail Park, Worksop, in early
November 2025.
There are no Tapinoma ants native to Nottinghamshire, so this is certainly an
imported species and potentially invasive, but which must have arrived here
via plant importation to both sites. According to staff at the Dukeries
Garden Centre,
the ants have been present at there for many years.
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