Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 9,500+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
WE BUILT THIS CITY
BBC Wildlife
|Spring 2023
WOOD ANT NESTS - Discover a mini metropolis housing hundreds of thousands of social insects
BRITAIN'S ANT FAUNA OF ABOUT 50 species is impoverished when compared to that of the tropics, with the famous biologist and ant expert E O Wilson once stating he could find as many species of ant on a single tree in the Peruvian Amazon as exist in the whole of the UK. However, what we lack in quantity we certainly make up for in quality, with wood ants surely the most charismatic of this instantly recognised but poorly understood group of social insects.
Of the six species of British wood ant, only three are commonly encountered: these being the southern, northern hairy and Scottish wood ant. While all look similar, they can be differentiated by the shape of and amount of hair on their heads. And except for a few places where the commonest species may overlap, perhaps the easiest way to know which wood ant species you're trying to identify is to consider its location.
This story is from the Spring 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM BBC Wildlife
BBC Wildlife
SNAP-CHAT
Lara Jackson talks magical otters, curious rhinos and ticks in the toes
3 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
What's the difference between global warming and climate change?
PEOPLE OFTEN USE THE TERMS global warming and climate change interchangeably, but they describe different concepts. Global warming refers to Earth’s increasing surface temperature.
1 min
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
THE FROZEN CONTINENT
Visit the epic landscapes of Antarctica with HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, the unique cruise line made for curious travellers
3 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
Dragonfly dialogue
STARTED TALKING TO DRAGONFLIES IN India at a place where my husband and I stayed several times in the foothills of the Himalayas.
1 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
What's the largest animal gathering on Earth?
PEOPLE LOVE A PARTY. BUT AS POPULOUS as our species is, the headcounts at our gatherings don't match those of other species. The Maha Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage in Prayagraj, India, drew more than 660 million people in January 2025. But this horde - thought to be the largest in human history – pales in comparison to the groups formed by our animal relatives.
1 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
Do plants have memory?
TO HAVE TRUE MEMORY AN ORGANISM requires brain cells to store experiences through the action of sophisticated neurotransmitters. Plants lacking brain cells therefore cannot be said to have that capacity for memory. However, there is evidence that some plants adapt their characteristics based on 'remembered' experiences.
2 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
wild OCTOBER
7 nature encounters for the month ahead
3 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
Do sharks have bones?
WHILE HUMANS HAVE A BONY skeleton, parts of our bodies - such as our noses - are made of cartilage. This soft, flexible material forms the entire skeletons of sharks and rays.
1 min
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
KATE BRADBURY
As the nights draw in, encountering bats can be a magical adventure
2 mins
October 2025
BBC Wildlife
Cool runners of the desert
The beetle that beats the heat by sprinting
1 mins
October 2025
Translate
Change font size