British ants. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of three common british ants. From left to right Yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus), common red ant (Myrmica rubra) and the black garden ant (Lasius niger). Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. Magnification: x20 when printed at 10 centimetres.