Lasius niger (L.) Ants Invade the Web of an Agelenid Spider

Black garden ants Lasius niger (L.) were observed to invade a web of an agelenid funnel spider (Agelena labyrinthica Clerck or Allagelena gracilens C. L. Koch) and to take the entangled prey away, probably after driving the resident spider out of the web. The observation adds to a few examples of ants invading spider webs and suggests complex interactions between ants and funnel spiders which are known to feed on rather than being ousted by ants.