Ants

The Wood Ants on Dun Coillich are Formica lugubris and the aphids which cause the leaf-curl galls on Rowan are Dysaphis sorbi.

The 3 species of Wood Ant in Britain are -

Formica rufa (found in England)

Formica aquilonia (found in Scotland and called the Scottish Wood Ant)

Formica lugubris (the Hairy Wood Ant - the one found at Dun Coillich)

Other species of ant found on Dun Coillich are -

Lasius niger and Lasius flavus

Lasius niger is a small black ant.

Lasius flavus is a small yellow ant that spends most of it time underground and tends root aphids in order to get their honeydew.

Lasius niger on Grass of Parnassus.

Formica aquilonia - this is the Wood Ant that builds large nests in the Black Wood of Rannoch.

The elaiosome is a oil and protein rich food source at the end of the seed. Ants are attracted to these and carry the seeds to the nest where they may get the chance to grow.

Myrmecochory is the process of seed dispersal by ants. Plants that utilize this method have seeds with elaiosomes, nutrient-rich appendages that attract ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests, consume the elaiosome, and discard the seeds, often in nutrient-rich areas like middens, aiding in germination. This interaction is generally considered a mutualism, benefiting both the plant and the ant.