Nid de fourmis noires des jardins, "Lasius niger"

Nest of black gardens ants, Lasius niger, whose colonies consist of approximately five to fifteen thousand individuals. In order to understand the architecture of the nest, research scientists took antheaps and then modelled them in 3D using an X-ray scanner. Tunnels, chambers, forks… modelling makes it possible to fully appreciate the elements that comprise this complex and dynamic architecture. In fact, ants are constantly destroying the structures that they build and adapt their habitat to their environment, in particular the external meteorological conditions. Therefore, research scientists are trying to understand how these insects, guided by their collective intelligence, manage to build very elaborate structures while exhibiting simple individual behaviour.