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(Top)

1Etymology

2Taxonomy and evolution

3Distribution and diversity

4Morphology

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4.1Head

4.2Mesosoma

4.3Metasoma

4.4Polymorphism

4.5Genome size

5Life cycle

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5.1Reproduction

5.2Nests, colonies, and supercolonies

6Behaviour and ecology

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6.1Communication

6.2Defence

6.3Learning

6.4Nest construction

6.5Cultivation of food

6.6Navigation

6.7Locomotion

6.8Cooperation and competition

6.9Relationships with other organisms

7Relationship with humans

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7.1As food

7.2As pests

7.3In science and technology

7.4As pets

7.5In culture

8See also

9References

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9.1Cited texts

10Further reading

11External links

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Ant

193 languages

AfrikaansAlemannischአማርኛअंगिकाÆngliscالعربيةAragonésܐܪܡܝܐԱրեւմտահայերէնArmãneashtiঅসমীয়াAsturianuAtikamekwAvañe'ẽAymar aruAzərbaycancaتۆرکجهBasa BaliBamanankanবাংলাBanjarBân-lâm-gúBasa BanyumasanБашҡортсаБеларускаяБеларуская (тарашкевіца)Bikol CentralБългарскиབོད་ཡིགBosanskiBrezhonegБуряадCatalàЧӑвашлаCebuanoČeštinaChiShonaCymraegDagbanliDanskDeutschDiné bizaadEestiΕλληνικάEmiliàn e rumagnòlEspañolEsperantoEuskaraفارسیFiji HindiFrançaisGaeilgeGàidhligGalegoГӀалгӀайગુજરાતી客家語/Hak-kâ-ngîХальмг한국어Հայերենहिन्दीHrvatskiIdoIlokanoBahasa IndonesiaInterlinguaИронÍslenskaItalianoעבריתJawaKabɩyɛಕನ್ನಡKapampanganქართულიकॉशुर / کٲشُرҚазақшаKernowekKiswahiliКомиKongoKreyòl ayisyenKurdîКыргызчаКырык марыLadinЛаккуLatinaLatviešuLëtzebuergeschЛезгиLietuviųLi NihaLimburgsLivvinkarjalaLombardMagyarМакедонскиMalagasyമലയാളംमराठीმარგალურიمصرىمازِرونیBahasa Melayuꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄Монголမြန်မာဘာသာNa Vosa VakavitiNederlandsNedersaksiesनेपालीनेपाल भाषा日本語НохчийнNordfriiskNorsk bokmålNorsk nynorskOccitanОлык марийଓଡ଼ିଆOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаਪੰਜਾਬੀPälzischPangcahپنجابیپښتوПерем комиPinayuananPlattdüütschPolskiPortuguêsRipoarischRomânăRumantschRuna SimiРусиньскыйРусскийСаха тылаSakizayaᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤSarduScotsShqipSicilianuසිංහලSimple EnglishسنڌيSlovenčinaSlovenščinaŚlůnskiSoomaaligaکوردیСрпски / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSundaSuomiSvenskaTagalogதமிழ்TaclḥitTaqbaylitТатарча / tatarçaతెలుగుไทยThuɔŋjäŋТоҷикӣᏣᎳᎩತುಳುTürkçeTürkmençeTyapУдмуртУкраїнськаاردوئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVahcuenghVepsän kel’Tiếng ViệtWalonWayuunaiki文言West-VlamsWinarayWolof吴语ייִדיש粵語ZazakiŽemaitėška中文Batak Toba

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Family of insects

For other uses, see Ant (disambiguation).

AntsTemporal range: 100–0 Ma[1]

PreꞒ

Ꞓ

Late Albian – Present

Fire ants

Scientific classification

Domain:

Eukaryota

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Arthropoda

Class:

Insecta

Order:

Hymenoptera

Infraorder:

Aculeata

Superfamily:

Formicoidea

Family:

FormicidaeLatreille, 1809

Type species

Formica rufaLinnaeus, 1761

Subfamilies

Agroecomyrmecinae

Amblyoponinae (incl. "Apomyrminae")

Aneuretinae

†Brownimeciinae

Dolichoderinae

Dorylinae

Ectatomminae

†Formiciinae

Formicinae

†Haidomyrmecinae

Heteroponerinae

Leptanillinae

Martialinae

Myrmeciinae (incl. "Nothomyrmeciinae")

Myrmicinae

Paraponerinae

Ponerinae

Proceratiinae

Pseudomyrmecinae

†Sphecomyrminae

†Zigrasimeciinae

Cladogram of subfamilies

Formicoid

Myrmicinae

Ectatomminae

Heteroponerinae

Formicinae

Dolichoderinae

Aneuretinae

Pseudomyrmecinae

Myrmeciinae

Dorylinae‡

Poneroid

Ponerinae

Agroecomyrmecinae

Paraponerinae

Proceratiinae

Amblyoponinae

Apomyrminae

Leptanillinae

Martialinae

A phylogeny of the extant ant subfamilies.[2][3][4]

*Cerapachyinae is paraphyletic

‡ The previous dorylomorph subfamilies - Ecitoninae, Aenictinae, Aenictogitoninae, Cerapachyinae, Leptanilloidinae - were synonymized under Dorylinae by Brady et al. in 2014[5]

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

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. Larger colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens" (gynes). The colonies are described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.

Ants gathering food (video)

Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in moist tropical ecosystems and may exceed the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.

Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication, and rites. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. Their ability to exploit resources may bring ants into conflict with humans, however, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) of South America, are regarded as invasive species in other parts of the world, establishing themselves in areas where they have been introduced accidentally.

Etymology

The word ant and the archaic word emmet[6] are derived from ante, emete of Middle English, which come from ǣmette of Old English; these are all related to Low Saxon e(e)mt, empe and varieties (Old Saxon emeta) and to German Ameise (Old High German āmeiza). All of these words come from West Germanic *ǣmaitjōn, and the original meaning of the word was "the biter" (from Proto-Germanic *ai-, "off, away" + *mait- "cut").[7][8]

The family name Formicidae is derived from the Latin formīca ("ant")[9] from which the words in other Romance languages, such as the Portuguese formiga, Italian formica, Spanish hormiga, Romanian furnică, and French fourmi are derived. It has been hypothesised that a Proto-Indo-European word *morwi- was the root for Sanskrit vamrah, Greek μύρμηξ mýrmēx, Old Church Slavonic mraviji, Old Irish moirb, Old Norse maurr, Dutch mier, Swedish myra, Danish myre, Middle Dutch miere, and Crimean Gothic miera.[10][11]

Taxonomy and evolution

Aculeata

Chrysidoidea

Vespidae

Rhopalosomatidae

Pompilidae

Tiphiidae

Scolioidea

Apoidea

Formicidae

Phylogenetic position of the Formicidae[12]

The family Formicidae belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes sawflies, bees, and wasps. Ants evolved from a lineage within the stinging wasps, and a 2013 study suggests that they are a sister group of the Apoidea.[12] In 1966, E. O. Wilson and his colleagues identified the fossil remains of an ant (Sphecomyrma) that lived in the Cretaceous period. The specimen, trapped in amber dating back to around 92 million years ago, has features found in some wasps, but not found in modern ants.[13] The oldest fossils of ants date to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago, which belong to extinct stem-groups such as the Haidomyrmecinae, Sphecomyrminae and Zigrasimeciinae, with modern ant subfamilies appearing towards the end of the Cretaceous around 80–70 million years ago.[14] Ants diversified and assumed ecological dominance around 60 million years ago.[15][1][16][17] Some groups, such as the Leptanillinae and Martialinae, are suggested to have diversified from early primitive ants that were likely to have been predators underneath the surface of the soil.[4][18]

Ants fossilised in Baltic amber

During the Cretaceous period, a few species of primitive ants ranged widely on the Laurasian supercontinent (the Northern Hemisphere). Their representation in the fossil record is poor, in comparison to the populations of other insects, representing only about 1% of fossil evidence of insects in the era. Ants became dominant after adaptive radiation at the beginning of the Paleogene period. By the Oligocene and Miocene, ants had come to represent 20–40% of all insects found in major fossil deposits. Of the species that lived in the Eocene epoch, around one in 10 genera survive to the present. Genera surviving today comprise 56% of the genera in Baltic amber fossils (early Oligocene), and 92% of the genera in Dominican amber fossils (apparently early Miocene).[15][19]

Termites live in colonies and are sometimes called "white ants", but termites are only distantly related to ants. They are the sub-order Isoptera, and together with cockroaches, they form the order Blattodea. Blattodeans are related to mantids, crickets, and other winged insects that do not undergo complete metamorphosis. Like ants, termites are eusocial, with sterile workers, but they differ greatly in the genetics of reproduction. The similarity of their social structure to that of ants is attributed to convergent evolution.[20] Velvet ants look like large ants, but are wingless female wasps.[21][22]

Distribution and diversity

Region

Number ofspecies [23]

Neotropics

2,162

Nearctic

580

Europe

180

Africa

2,500

Asia

2,080

Melanesia

275

Australia

985

Polynesia

Ants have a cosmopolitan distribution. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, and only a few large islands, such as Greenland, Iceland, parts of Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands lack native ant species.[24][25] Ants occupy a wide range of ecological niches and exploit many different food resources as direct or indirect herbivores, predators and scavengers. Most ant species are omnivorous generalists, but a few are specialist feeders. There is considerable variation in ant abundance across habitats, peaking in the moist tropics to nearly six times that found in less suitable habitats.[26] Their ecological dominance has been examined primarily using estimates of their biomass: myrmecologist E. O. Wilson had estimated in 2009 that at any one time the total number of ants was between one and ten quadrillion (short scale) (i.e., between 1015 and 1016) and using this estimate he had suggested that the total biomass of all the ants in the world was approximately equal to the total biomass of the entire human race.[27] More careful estimates made in 2022 which take into account regional variations puts the global ant contribution at 12 megatons of dry carbon, which is about 20% of the total human contribution, but greater than that of the wild birds and mammals combined. This study also puts a conservative estimate of the ants at about 20 × 1015 (20 quadrillion).[28][29][30]

Ants range in size from 0.75 to 52 millimetres (0.030–2.0 in),[31][32] the largest species being the fossil Titanomyrma giganteum, the queen of which was 6 cm (2+1⁄2 in) long with a wingspan of 15 cm (6 in).[33] Ants vary in colour; most ants are yellow to red or brown to black, but a few species are green and some tropical species have a metallic lustre. More than 13,800 species are currently known[34] (with upper estimates of the potential existence of about 22,000; see the article List of ant genera), with the greatest diversity in the tropics. Taxonomic studies continue to resolve the classification and systematics of ants. Online databases of ant species, including AntWeb and the Hymenoptera Name Server, help to keep track of the known and newly described species.[34] The relative ease with which ants may be sampled and studied in ecosystems has made them useful as indicator species in biodiversity studies.[35][36]

Morphology

Diagram of a worker ant (Neoponera verenae)

Ants are distinct in their morphology from other insects in having geniculate (elbowed) antennae, metapleural glands, and a strong constriction of their second abdominal segment into a node-like petiole. The head, mesosoma, and metasoma are the three distinct body segments (formally tagmata). The petiole forms a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole may be formed by one or two nodes (the second alone, or the second and third abdominal segments).[37] Tergosternal fusion, when the tergite and sternite of a segment fuse together, can occur partly or fully on the second, third and fourth abdominal segment and is used in identification. Fourth abdominal tergosternal fusion was formerly used as character that defined the poneromorph subfamilies, Ponerinae and relatives within their clade, but this is no longer considered a synapomorphic character.[38]

Like other arthropods, ants have an exoskeleton, an external covering that provides a protective casing around the body and a point of attachment for muscles, in contrast to the internal skeletons of humans and other vertebrates. Insects do not have lungs; oxygen and other gases, such as carbon dioxide, pass through their exoskeleton via tiny valves called spiracles. Insects also lack closed blood vessels; instead, they have a long, thin, perforated tube along the top of the body (called the "dorsal aorta") that functions like a heart, and pumps haemolymph toward the head, thus driving the circulation of the internal fluids. The nervous system consists of a ventral nerve cord that runs the length of the body, with several ganglia and branches along the way reaching into the extremities of the appendages.[39]

Head

Bull ant showing the powerful mandibles and the relatively large compound eyes that provide excellent vision

Ant head

An ant's head contains many sensory organs. Like most insects, ants have compound eyes made from numerous tiny lenses attached together. Ant eyes are good for acute movement detection, but do not offer a high resolution image. They also have three small ocelli (simple eyes) on the top of the head that detect light levels and polarization.[40] Compared to vertebrates, ants tend to have blurrier eyesight, particularly in smaller species,[41] and a few subterranean taxa are completely blind.[3] However, some ants, such as Australia's bulldog ant, have excellent vision and are capable of discriminating the distance and size of objects moving nearly a meter away.[42]

Two antennae ("feelers") are attached to the head; these organs detect chemicals, air currents, and vibrations; they also are used to transmit and receive signals through touch. The head has two strong jaws, the mandibles, used to carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defence.[39] In some species, a small pocket (infrabuccal chamber) inside the mouth stores food, so it may be passed to other ants or their larvae.[43]

Mesosoma

Both the legs and wings of the ant are attached to the mesosoma ("thorax"). The legs terminate in a hooked claw which allows them to hook on and climb surfaces.[44] Only reproductive ants (queens and males) have wings. Queens shed their wings after the nuptial flight, leaving visible stubs, a distinguishing feature of queens. In a few species, wingless queens (ergatoids) and males occur.[39]

Metasoma

The metasoma (the "abdomen") of the ant houses important internal organs, including those of the reproductive, respiratory (tracheae), and excretory systems. Workers of many species have their egg-laying structures modified into stings that are used for subduing prey and defending their nests.[39]

Polymorphism

Seven leafcutter ant workers of various castes (left) and two queens (right)

In the colonies of a few ant species, there are physical castes—workers in distinct size-classes, called minor, median, and major ergates. Often, the larger ants have disproportionately larger heads, and correspondingly stronger mandibles. These are known as macrergates while smaller workers are known as micrergates.[45] Although formally known as dinergates, such individuals are sometimes called "soldier" ants because their stronger mandibles make them more effective in fighting, although they still are workers and their "duties" typically do not vary greatly from the minor or median workers. In a few species, the median workers are absent, creating a sharp divide between the minors and majors.[46] Weaver ants, for example, have a distinct bimodal size distribution.[47][48] Some other species show continuous variation in the size of workers. The smallest and largest workers in Carebara diversa show nearly a 500-fold difference in their dry weights.[49]

Workers cannot mate; however, because of the haplodiploid sex-determination system in ants, workers of a number of species can lay unfertilised eggs that become fully fertile, haploid males. The role of workers may change with their age and in some species, such as honeypot ants, young workers are fed until their gasters are distended, and act as living food storage vessels. These food storage workers are called repletes.[50] For instance, these replete workers develop in the North American honeypot ant Myrmecocystus mexicanus. Usually the largest workers in the colony develop into repletes; and, if repletes are removed from the colony, other workers become repletes, demonstrating the flexibility of this particular polymorphism.[51] This polymorphism in morphology and behaviour of workers initially was thought to be determined by environmental factors such as nutrition and hormones that led to different developmental paths; however, genetic differences between worker castes have been noted in Acromyrmex sp.[52] These polymorphisms are caused by relatively small genetic changes; differences in a single gene of Solenopsis invicta can decide whether the colony will have single or multiple queens.[53] The Australian jack jumper ant (Myrmecia pilosula) has only a single pair of chromosomes (with the males having just one chromosome as they are haploid), the lowest number known for any animal, making it an interesting subject for studies in the genetics and developmental biology of social insects.[54][55]

Genome size

Genome size is a fundamental characteristic of an organism. Ants have been found to have tiny genomes, with the evolution of genome size suggested to occur through loss and accumulation of non-coding regions, mainly transposable elements, and occasionally by whole genome duplication.[56] This may be related to colonisation processes, but further studies are needed to verify this.[56]

Life cycle

Meat eater ant nest during swarming

The life of an ant starts from an egg; if the egg is fertilised, the progeny will be female diploid, if not, it will be male haploid. Ants develop by complete metamorphosis with the larva stages passing through a pupal stage before emerging as an adult. The larva is largely immobile and is fed and cared for by workers. Food is given to the larvae by trophallaxis, a process in which an ant regurgitates liquid food held in its crop. This is also how adults share food, stored in the "social stomach". Larvae, especially in the later stages, may also be provided solid food, such as trophic eggs, pieces of prey, and seeds brought by workers.[57]

The larvae grow through a series of four or five moults and enter the pupal stage. The pupa has the appendages free and not fused to the body as in a butterfly pupa.[58] The differentiation into queens and workers (which are both female), and different castes of workers, is influenced in some species by the nutrition the larvae obtain. Genetic influences and the control of gene expression by the developmental environment are complex and the determination of caste continues to be a subject of research.[59] Winged male ants, called drones (termed "aner" in old literature[60]), emerge from pupae along with the usually winged breeding females. Some species, such as army ants, have wingless queens. Larvae and pupae need to be kept at fairly constant temperatures to ensure proper development, and so often are moved around among the various brood chambers within the colony.[61]

A new ergate spends the first few days of its adult life caring for the queen and young. She then graduates to digging and other nest work, and later to defending the nest and foraging. These changes are sometimes fairly sudden, and define what are called temporal castes. Such age-based task-specialization or polyethism has been suggested as having evolved due to the high casualties involved in foraging and defence, making it an acceptable risk only for ants who are older and likely to die sooner from natural causes.[62][63] In the Brazilian ant Forelius pusillus, the nest entrance is closed from the outside to protect the colony from predatory ant species at sunset each day. About one to eight workers seal the nest entrance from the outside and they have no chance of returning to the nest and are in effect sacrificed.[64] Whether these seemingly suicidal workers are older workers has not been determined.[65]

Ant colonies can be long-lived. The queens can live for up to 30 years, and workers live from 1 to 3 years. Males, however, are more transitory, being quite short-lived and surviving for only a few weeks.[66] Ant queens are estimated to live 100 times as long as solitary insects of a similar size.[67]

Ants are active all year long in the tropics; however, in cooler regions, they survive the winter in a state of dormancy known as hibernation. The forms of inactivity are varied and some temperate species have larvae going into the inactive state (diapause), while in others, the adults alone pass the winter in a state of reduced activity.[68]

Alate male ant, Prenolepis imparis

Reproduction

Honey ants (Prenolepis imparis) mating

A wide range of reproductive strategies have been noted in ant species. Females of many species are known to be capable of reproducing asexually through thelytokous parthenogenesis.[69] Secretions from the male accessory glands in some species can plug the female genital opening and prevent females from re-mating.[70] Most ant species have a system in which only the queen and breeding females have the ability to mate. Contrary to popular belief, some ant nests have multiple queens, while others may exist without queens. Workers with the ability to reproduce are called "gamergates" and colonies that lack queens are then called gamergate colonies; colonies with queens are said to be queen-right.[71]

Drones can also mate with existing queens by entering a foreign colony, such as in army ants. When the drone is initially attacked by the workers, it releases a mating pheromone. If recognized as a mate, it will be carried to the queen to mate.[72] Males may also patrol the nest and fight others by grabbing them with their mandibles, piercing their exoskeleton and then marking them with a pheromone. The marked male is interpreted as an invader by worker ants and is killed.[73]

Most ants are univoltine, producing a new generation each year.[74] During the species-specific breeding period, winged females and winged males, known to entomologists as alates, leave the colony in what is called a nuptial flight. The nuptial flight usually takes place in the late spring or early summer when the weather is hot and humid. Heat makes flying easier and freshly fallen rain makes the ground softer for mated queens to dig nests.[75] Males typically take flight before the females. Males then use visual cues to find a common mating ground, for example, a landmark such as a pine tree to which other males in the area converge. Males secrete a mating pheromone that females follow. Males will mount females in the air, but the actual mating process usually takes place on the ground. Females of some species mate with just one male but in others they may mate with as many as ten or more different males, storing the sperm in their spermathecae.[76] In Cardiocondyla elegans, workers may transport newly emerged queens to other conspecific nests where wingless males from unrelated colonies can mate with them, a behavioural adaptation that may reduce the chances of inbreeding.[77]

Fertilised meat-eater ant queen beginning to dig a new colony

Mated females then seek a suitable place to begin a colony. There, they break off their wings using their tibial spurs and begin to lay and care for eggs. The females can selectively fertilise future eggs with the sperm stored to produce diploid workers or lay unfertilized haploid eggs to produce drones. The first workers to hatch, known as nanitics,[78] are weaker and smaller than later workers but they begin to serve the colony immediately. They enlarge the nest, forage for food, and care for the other eggs. Species that have multiple queens may have a queen leaving the nest along with some workers to found a colony at a new site,[76] a process akin to swarming in honeybees.

Nests, colonies, and supercolonies

The typical ant species has a colony occupying a single nest, housing one or more queens, where the brood is raised. There are however more than 150 species of ants in 49 genera that are known to have colonies consisting of multiple spatially separated nests. These polydomous (as opposed to monodomous) colonies have food and workers moving between the nests.[79] Membership to a colony is identified by the response of worker ants which identify whether another individual belongs to their own colony or not. A signature cocktail of body surface chemicals (also known as cuticular hydrocarbons or CHCs) forms the so-called colony odor which other members can recognize.[80] Some ant species appear to be less discriminating and in the Argentine ant Linepithema humile, workers carried from a colony anywhere in the southern US and Mexico are acceptable within other colonies in the same region. Similarly workers from colonies that have established in Europe are accepted by any other colonies within Europe but not by the colonies in the Americas. The interpretation of these observations has been debated and some have been termed these large populations as supercolonies[81][82] while others have termed the populations as unicolonial.[83]

Behaviour and ecology

Communication

Two Camponotus sericeus workers communicating through touch and pheromones

Ants communicate with each other using pheromones, sounds, and touch.[84] Since most ants live on the ground, they use the soil surface to leave pheromone trails that may be followed by other ants. In species that forage in groups, a forager that finds food marks a trail on the way back to the colony; this trail is followed by other ants, these ants then reinforce the trail when they head back with food to the colony. When the food source is exhausted, no new trails are marked by returning ants and the scent slowly dissipates. This behaviour helps ants deal with changes in their environment. For instance, when an established path to a food source is blocked by an obstacle, the foragers leave the path to explore new routes. If an ant is successful, it leaves a new trail marking the shortest route on its return. Successful trails are followed by more ants, reinforcing better routes and gradually identifying the best path.[84][85]

Ants use pheromones for more than just making trails. A crushed ant emits an alarm pheromone that sends nearby ants into an attack frenzy and attracts more ants from farther away. Several ant species even use "propaganda pheromones" to confuse enemy ants and make them fight among themselves.[86] Pheromones are produced by a wide range of structures including Dufour's glands, poison glands and glands on the hindgut, pygidium, rectum, sternum, and hind tibia.[67] Pheromones also are exchanged, mixed with food, and passed by trophallaxis, transferring information within the colony.[87] This allows other ants to detect what task group (e.g., foraging or nest maintenance) other colony members belong to.[88] In ant species with queen castes, when the dominant queen stops producing a specific pheromone, workers begin to raise new queens in the colony.[89]

Some ants produce sounds by stridulation, using the gaster segments and their mandibles. Sounds may be used to communicate with colony members or with other species.[90][91]

Defence

Ant | Description, Taxonomy, Habitat, Species, Life Cycle, & Facts | Britannica

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Ants, facts and information

Skip to contentNewslettersSubscribeMenuA leafcutter ant photographed at St. Louis Zoo in Missouri. There are up to tens of thousands of ant species in the world—and 47 of them are different species of leafcutter ants, which are found in the Western Hemisphere.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.AnimalsReferenceAnts, facts and informationShareTweetEmailCommon Name: AntsScientific Name: FormicidaeType: InvertebratesDiet: OmnivoreGroup Name: Army, colonyAverage Life Span: Several weeks to several yearsSize: 0.08 to 1 inchesSize relative to a paper clip: What are ants?Ants are common insects, but they have some unique capabilities—including their legendary communication skills that allow their colonies to function as superorganisms.There are 20 quadrillion ants on Earth—that’s 2.5 million ants for every human. Known ant species (members of the family Formicidae) number over 12,000, and some experts estimate upwards of 20,000 exist. They can be found almost anywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, and some island nations.(How do ants make “milk”?)Invasive ant species are becoming a problem, however, with research showing that over 500 species of ants were found in countries where they aren’t native, having hopped a ride with humans, or our cargo and goods. These alien ants can change the dynamics of an ecosystem, consume resources, and kill other organisms. This damage adds up: From 1930 to 2021, invasive ants caused an estimated $51 billion in economic losses.Texas leafcutter ants (Atta texana), feed on an apple core at Dallas Zoo.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.AppearanceAnts range in size from the miniscule up to one inch long, and usually appear black, brown, red, or yellow.Ants look much like termites, and the two are often confused. Ants can be identified by their elbowed antennae, and narrow "waist" between the abdomen and thorax. Some ants have wings, which are longer in the front and shorter by their hind legs. The presence of wings indicates an ant’s fertility—ants with wings are either queens or the drones whose job it is to mate with them.Diet and behaviorEnthusiastically social insects, ants typically live in structured nest communities that may be located underground, in ground-level mounds, or in trees. Carpenter ants, which include more than a thousand species in the genus Camponotus, nest in wood and can be destructive to buildings. (Much like termites, which cause far more severe damage.) Some species, such as army ants, defy the norm and do not have permanent homes.1:09WATCH: "Paramedic" Ants Save the Wounded in Termite WarsMegaponera analis, a small black ant species native to sub-Saharan Africa, wages war on termite nests. Attacking ants can have limbs ripped off or even be decapitated by the termites. Instead of leaving the hurt ants behind, other ants will carry them back home where they can heal and participate again in future raidsA single ant colony can contain hundreds of thousands of individual ants. Communities are headed by a queen or queens—some polygynous species can have as few as two or up to thousands of queens. Queens lay thousands of eggs to ensure the survival of the colony. In some species, male ants (known as drones) often have only one role—mating with the queen. They often die shortly after. Worker ants, the most visible colony members, are females that never reproduce, but instead forage for food, care for the queen's offspring, work on the nest, and protect the community. Some workers can carry 50 times their own body weight. (Why invasive ants are a bigger threat than previously thought.)Ants communicate and cooperate by secreting pheromones, or scent chemicals, that can alert others to danger or lead them to a promising food source. They typically eat nectar, seeds, fungus, or insects. However, some species have diets that are more unusual. Army ants, with their large mandibles and painful stings, may prey on reptiles, birds, or even small mammals.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Left: Honeypot ant (Myrmecocystus mexicanus) is photographed with its swollen golden abdomen.Right: A red velvet ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis) at the Audobon Nature Institute in New Orleans.Ant colonies are so tightly knit and efficient, they can pass useful knowledge between generations, which some experts believe constitutes a colony “memory.” This kind of communal knowledge is essential for defense, so ants can easily differentiate friendly and hostile forces.Unusual antsWithin the many thousands of known ant species, there are many that fill unique ecological roles, resulting in the development of special physical characteristics and interesting behavior.For example, ants have a variety of biological defenses. Fire ants bite and sting with a venom called solenopsin. They can also survive floods by clumping together to float on the water’s surface. Other species, like the newly discovered Pheidole drogon, have evolved to grow spikes or spines from their exoskeletons.(How these ants help find fossils.)One Amazon species (Allomerus decemarticulatus) cooperatively builds extensive traps from plant fiber. When an insect steps on one of the trap’s many holes, hundreds of ants inside use the openings to seize it with their jaws.Another species, the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes), is capable of forming so-called supercolonies that house hundreds or even thousands of queens. On Australia’s Christmas Island, the accidental introduction of yellow crazy ants in the early 20th century has led to a destructive infestation. The ants are a significant threat to the island’s endemic population of red crabs, displacing the crustaceans from their burrows or even killing them as they pass by ant nests during their annual migration from the forest to the coast.Did you know?Ants have a symbiotic relationship with a group of plants called Myrmecophytes, which provide food and the ants protect these plants from pests.— ScienceDirectThere are several wasp species that closely resemble ants, including the velvet ant, which is actually a hairy, wingless wasp.— University of Nebraska-LincolnAncient ants found perfectly preserved in amber have given us invaluable clues to their evolution. One specimen of an ant caught hunting is believed to be 99 million years old. — BBC Science FocusShareTweetEmailGo FurtherAnimalsRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningAnimalsRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaScienceWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsAnimalsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsPlay to find out which birds dominate at your feeder—and whyAnimalsPlay to find out which birds dominate at your feeder—and whyHow do fireflies get their glow? We finally have some answers.AnimalsHow do fireflies get their glow? We finally have some answers.Bird flu is spreading from pole to pole. Here’s why it matters.AnimalsBird flu is spreading from pole to pole. Here’s why it matters.EnvironmentMushroom leather? 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Types of Ants With Identification and Pictures (Identification Chart)

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Types of Ants With Identification and Pictures (Identification Chart)

By Jessica Nolan, Gardening Expert

Animals

Share on Email

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Share on LinkedInAnts are a type of small insect with three distinct body parts, six legs, and two antennae. Black ants are the most common type; however, ant species can also be dark brown, tan, or red colors. Some types of swarming ants also develop wings. But most ants are tiny creepy crawlies that get around by walking.

Small ants and large ants are social insects that live in large colonies. Therefore, if you spot a few ants in your home or garden, the chances are that there are hundreds of ants nearby. Ants can become a nuisance pest in homes or gardens. These tiny bugs can inflict painful stings and chew through wood, electrical cables, or insulation.

This article is a comprehensive guide to identifying common types of ants you’re likely to encounter at home or in the yard. Knowing how to identify an ant species can help you understand how to get rid of the tiny crawling insects.

How to Identify Ants

Ant identification is by their color, size, and body shape. Ants have three pairs of legs and three identifiable body parts — the head, thorax, and abdomen. Some ants have large, bulbous heads and abdomens with a thin thorax. The common names of some ants describe their appearance and habits.

For example, small odorous ants, black household ants, little black ants, crazy ants, and white-footed ants are types of ants where their common names help identify their characteristics.

Types of Ants With Pictures and Names — Identification Guide

Let’s look in detail at the identifying features of common types of ants.

Pharaoh Ant (Monomorium pharaonis)

A close up picture of the miniature tiny Pharaoh ant

The pharaoh ant is a small light brown or orange-yellow ant that can become a significant pest in buildings. The tropical ant measures around 0.078” (2 mm) long. The tiny brown ant has a large dark brown to black bulbous abdomen and two distinctive club antennae.

Pharaoh ants live in large colonies and have several red-colored queen ants per colony. The ants feed on sugary and greasy foods and can infest wall voids, furniture, and under floors.

It is said that an ant bait consisting of 1 percent boric acid and sugary water can kill pharaoh ants.

Ant Identification

Pharaoh ants have slender, light brown, almost translucent bodies with a large ball-like blackish abdomen.

Small Odorous House Ant (Tapinoma sessile)

Enlarged picture of the small odorous house ant that emits foul smell when crushed

The small odorous house ant is black or brown and measures between 0.06” and 0.12” (1.5 – 3.2 mm). The tiny ants are recognized by their abdomen (gaster) that is closely joined to the thorax. This feature makes the abdomen appear pointed downward.

Odorous house ants typically feed on honeydew — a common sign of aphids on houseplants or garden shrubs. The best way to prevent odorous ants from infesting homes is to keep vegetation and plants growing away from buildings.

The small odorous house ants got their common name because of the nasty smell they emit when crushed. These small black ants are also called the stink ant for the same reason.

Ant Identification

The brown odorous house ant is identified by its oval abdomen, triangular head, and segmented antennae.

Black Household Ant (Ochetellus glaber)

The small black household ant can also be dark brown, depending on the species

The tiny black household ant can be jet black or dark brown, depending on the subspecies. Black house ants measure 0.08” to 0.11” (2 – 3 mm) long. The ants have curved antennae, and their legs may appear yellow. Up close, pictures of the black ants show they have a wrinkled face and large compound eyes.

The tiny black or brown household ants feed on sweet liquids and you’ll often find these common household invaders in the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. Outdoors, the ants feed on honeydew, nectar, and other insects. The black ants are common in Florida and other states in the southern US.

Ant Identification

The black household ant is a tiny ant that can be brownish-black or dark brown in color with a narrow waist, slender thorax, and large abdomen.

Little Black Ant (Monomorium minimum)

The little black ants are common in dark places in the house and garden

The little black ant is a type of little jet-black ant measuring 0.04” to 0.078” (1 – 2 mm) long. The tiny black ant is recognized by its two-segmented waist (pedicel), clubbed antennae, stinger, and ball-like, shiny black abdomen. The tiny black ants live in medium-sized colonies.

Little black ants are found throughout the United States, especially in California. The small black ants inhabit dark places in yards under logs and piles of bricks. You’ll find the little black ants inside homes in wall voids, behind baseboards, or in masonry crevices.

Ant Identification

Little black ants are identified by their shiny black bodies, club antennae, and tiny size.

Black Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)

The big black carpenter ant can damage wooden furniture and structures

Carpenter ants are some of the largest black ants, measuring 0.23” to 0.5” (6 – 13 mm) long. The large black ants have whitish hairs on their bodies and a striped abdomen. Additionally, the ants have characteristic elbowed antennae and six brownish-black legs attached to the thorax.

Carpenter ants get their name from their habit of excavating dead wood. Unfortunately, this means that the destructive black bugs can damage furniture and even cause structural damage over time. To prevent a carpenter ant invasion, reduce humidity and keep moist wood away from structures.

Ant Identification

The black carpenter ant is a large ant with a dull black body, fuzzy abdomen, and smooth thorax.

Pavement Ant (Tetramorium)

Pavement ants include many species. In the picture: Tetramorium caespitum

The pavement ant is a common dark brown ant that can sting humans. The slender brown ant has a rounded head, oval brown abdomen, and stinger. These small brown insects measure 0.1” (3 mm) long and are difficult to spot due to their minuscule size.

Pavement ants thrive in sand and soil and prefer to live under sidewalks, driveways, and patios. Inside homes, you may find pavement ant nests in basements. Unfortunately, the ants tend to nest underground, making getting rid of the brown bugs challenging.

Ant Identification

A pavement ant is recognized by its dark brown to black body with recognizable ridges and fine hairs on its head and thorax. Pictures of the brown ant show it has a stinger at its tail end.

Black Garden Ant (Lasius niger)

The small black garden ant is common in many parts of the world

Called the common black ant, this small black insect measures around 0.2” (5 mm) long. Sometimes a dark brown color, the common garden ant has identifiable erect hairs on its antennae and top leg sections. In addition, some black ants have a faint stripe around their abdomens and a thin waist.

The black garden ant is the species you are likely to find in your yard. The male flying ants can sometimes find their way into homes. This can attract hordes of more ants to come foraging for sweet foods.

Ant Identification

The common black garden ant has a recognizable black, bulbous abdomen attached to the thorax by a thin waist and six dark brown legs.

Related reading: How to Control Ants in the Garden

Banded Sugar Ant (Camponotus consobrinus)

The orange-brown and black banded sugar ant is relatively large and is found in forests and houses

The banded sugar ant is dark brown to black and has a light-colored rusty brown band around its abdomen. Measuring 0.2” to 0.6” (4 – 16 mm), the large brown ant has a shiny black triangular head, egg-shaped brown and black abdomen, and coppery-brown legs.

The banded sugar ant is native to Australia. You will also find colonies of sugar ants nesting under shrubs, dead wood, and in the soil. The black and orange-brown ants also construct nest mounds above ground.

Ant Identification

A banded sugar ant appears to have a rusty brown band on its black abdomen. The orange-brown ant has a black head and brown legs.

Yellow Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus)

The little yellow meadow ant feeds on aphids honeydew

The yellow meadow ant is a common small yellowish-brown ant species, measuring 0.78” to 0.15” (2 – 4 mm) in length. The meadow ant has a yellow head, thorax, and abdomen (gaster), which is darker at the edges. The antennae are 12-segmented and end in a three-segmented club.

The yellow meadow ants are not particularly aggressive and often nest under rocks or slabs. These tiny yellowish-brown ants also protect aphids as they like to feed on the honeydew. You may find them in gardens when they create a soil dome for a nest.

Ant Identification

The yellow meadow ant has an identifiable yellowy-brown color and an egg-shaped yellowish abdomen with fine setae (hairs) at its tail end.

Fire Ant (Solenopsis spp.)

The fire ant is a small red ant that can cause a painful sting

The fire ant is a common stinging slender ant identified by its dark brown to red color and aggressive behavior. The nasty small red ants have a copper-brown head and thorax and dark red abdomen. Additionally, they have two ten-segmented antennae with two-segmented clubs. The small red ants measure 0.8” to 0.23” (2 – 6 mm).

Fire ants can be found in Texas, Alabama, and other states in the southern US. The tiny fire ants are known for their painful stings that cause pain, like being burned by fire. Red fire ants nest in the soil or dome-shaped mounds and can attack when disturbed.

Ant Identification

The small red fire ant is easily identified by its reddish-brown color, two black eyes, exceptionally slender thorax, and large reddish-brown abdomen.

Crazy Ant (Paratrechina)

A magnified photo of the long legged crazy ant (Paratrechina longicornis)

The crazy ant is a species of small dark brown to black ant with whitish setae and extremely long antennae. These tiny, fast-moving ants measure 0.9” to 0.11” (2.3 – 3 mm) and have an unevenly rounded thorax. Small crazy ants are known for their erratic, speedy movements.

Crazy ants are a species of tropical ant commonly found outdoors in Florida and the Gulf states. However, the reddish-brown crazy ants also live in the house in temperate climates. As a result, they are a serious nuisance pest and forage on household foods, fruit, plant honeydew, and seeds in many areas.

These crazy ants can be extremely difficult to get rid of.

Ant Identification

A crazy ant is distinguished from other ants by a long pair of antennae, brownish-black color, and thin legs with relatively few hairs on them.

Ghost Ant (Tapinoma melanocephalum)

The tiny ghost ant is identified by its dark brown head and beige translucent abdomen

The ghost ant is a species of tiny dark brown and creamy white ant common in Florida. The ghost ant is identified by its dark brown head and thorax, pale translucent abdomen with faint dark patterns. These difficult-to-spot tiny ants measure 0.05” to 0.08” (1.3 – 2 mm) long.

Ghost ants are a common household pest in Florida, Texas, and throughout the US. Ghost ants are common household invaders and they can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, and other humid areas. They typically nest outdoors but will forage indoors if conditions are suitable and moisture is present.

Ant Identification

A ghost ant is identified as a small brown ant with a yellowish abdomen, milky white antennae without clubs, and six transparent legs.

Red Wood Ant (Formica rufa)

The red wood ant has a black abdomen and creates large nests in the forests

The red wood ant is identified by a black abdomen and red thorax, black and red head, and long black legs. This type of small black and red ant species measures 0.17” to 0.35” (4.5 – 9 mm). The red ants have short, elbowed antennae.

Also called thatching ants, wood ants, mound ants, and field ants, the ants are found in deciduous forests throughout the United States. The small ants create large ant hills, sometimes several feet high. The busy ants typically feed on aphids and are important in forestry management.

Ant Identification

The small red wood ant is identified by a reddish-brown head and thorax, a dark brown or black abdomen, and black legs. The red ants are easy to spot in forests because they appear in large numbers.

Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile)

The brown Argentine ant can be a serious household pest

The Argentine ant is a tiny, brownish-colored ant measuring 0.06” to 0.11” (1.6 – 2.8 mm) long. The light to dark brown ant has a distinguishable single node between the abdomen and thorax and two bands over the abdomen. Another feature of the Argentine ant is its tan legs and segmented antennae.

Argentine ants are an invasive species and a significant pest in urban areas. The pesky insects invade homes during dry or hot weather and forage for food in kitchens. There can sometimes be hundreds of these brown ants scurrying over floors.

Ant Identification

Argentine ants are small, light to dark brown ants with pale brown legs and club-less antennae with 12 segments.

Leafcutter Ants

Leafcutter ants can be found in South and Central America, and southern USA

Leafcutter ants comprise of over 40 ant species that cut leaves with their mandibles (mouthparts) to carry them back to the nest. The common identifying feature of leaf-chewing ants is how hundreds of the insects carry leaf parts in line, one after the other.

In some places, leafcutter ants can be serious agricultural pests. For example, some species can strip citrus trees bare in less than 24 hours.

The species Atta sexdens, is a type of red ant with a broad, rounded head, slender thorax, and small, round abdomen. The red ant measures around 0.04” to 0.08” (1 – 2 mm) long. The largest of the red leafcutter ants can have a head over 0.11” (3 mm) wide.

Red Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus)

The red harvester ant has copper-brown body and are often confused with fire ants

The red harvester ant has a large, red to brownish body with a rounded, bulbous abdomen and elongated thorax. These copper-brown large ants measure 0.19” to 0.27” (5 – 7 mm) long. Identifying features of the harvester ants are fine setae on its back and abdomen, small black eyes, and red elbowed antennae.

Because of their red appearance, red harvester ants are easy to mistake for unrelated fire ants. Species of harvester ants are common in Texas and other states throughout the US and Canada. Although these are red stinging ants, they rarely sting.

Ant Identification

The red harvester ant is a large reddish-brown ant with two 12-segmented antennae and fine hairs on its head. The red ants are easy to spot in a landscape because they construct large, mounded nests.

White-Footed Ant (Technomyrmex albipes)

The small white-footed ant can be found in forests as well as homes

The white-footed ant is a small black ant with six black legs and creamy-white tips. Typically, the dull black ants measure 0.08” to 0.16” (2 to 4 mm) long. Identifying features of the white-footed ants are two 12-segmented antennae, five abdominal segments, and fine setae on its back.

White-footed ants look like Argentine ants and are often confused with crazy ants. The black and white ant is common throughout Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, and South Carolina. It is considered a pest when it infests indoor spaces.

Ant Identification

The white-footed ant has identifiable white legs and a black head, thin thorax, and egg-shaped brownish-black abdomen.

Pyramid Ant (Dorymyrmex bureni)

The pyramid ant has orange-reddish body and emit bad odor when crushed

The pyramid ant is medium-sized with a pale orangey-red or pale-yellow body, club-less antennae, no sting, and a slender body. The ant is not considered aggressive. However, it emits a foul stench of rotten coconuts when crushed. The small to medium-size ants measure 0.8” – 0.16” (2 – 4 mm) long.

Common to Florida, the pyramid ant is not classified as an aggressive ant, unlike red fire ants. Instead, the small reddish-brown ants with their tiny black eyes feed on honeydew, other insects, and live outdoors in nests they construct in mounds of sand.

Ant Identification

The pyramid ant is a slender orange-red ant with six thin orange legs, long 12-segmented antennae without a defined club, and a pyramid-shaped projection on the thorax.

Learn How to Control Ants in the Garden.

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Read NextTypes of Gray Bugs: Silverfish, Stink Bugs and More (With Pictures) - Identification GuideSmall Brown Beetles (In the House and Outside) - With Pictures and IdentificationCommon House Spiders (With Pictures) - Identification GuideTypes of Beautiful Moths (With Pictures) - Identification GuideTypes of Ants With Identification and Pictures (Identification Chart) was last modified: March 9th, 2022 by Jessica Nolan, Gardening Expert

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Ant - Description, Habitat, Image, Diet, and Interesting Facts

HomeAnimal IndexComplete List of AnimalsA – GAnimals that start with AAnimals that start with BAnimals that start with CAnimals that start with DAnimals that start with EAnimals that start with FAnimals that start with GH – NAnimals that start with HAnimals that start with IAnimals that start with JAnimals that start with KAnimals that start with LAnimals that start with MAnimals that start with NO – TAnimals that start with OAnimals that start with PAnimals that start with QAnimals that start with RAnimals that start with SAnimals that start with TU – ZAnimals that start with UAnimals that start with VAnimals that start with WAnimals that start with XAnimals that start with YAnimals that start with ZDogsParks and ZoosCitationContact Us Search HomeAnimal IndexComplete List of AnimalsA – GAnimals that start with AAnimals that start with BAnimals that start with CAnimals that start with DAnimals that start with EAnimals that start with FAnimals that start with GH – NAnimals that start with HAnimals that start with IAnimals that start with JAnimals that start with KAnimals that start with LAnimals that start with MAnimals that start with NO – TAnimals that start with OAnimals that start with PAnimals that start with QAnimals that start with RAnimals that start with SAnimals that start with TU – ZAnimals that start with UAnimals that start with VAnimals that start with WAnimals that start with XAnimals that start with YAnimals that start with ZDogsParks and ZoosCitationContact Us Animals Network HomeAnimal IndexComplete List of AnimalsA – GAnimals that start with AAnimals that start with BAnimals that start with CAnimals that start with DAnimals that start with EAnimals that start with FAnimals that start with GH – NAnimals that start with HAnimals that start with IAnimals that start with JAnimals that start with KAnimals that start with LAnimals that start with MAnimals that start with NO – TAnimals that start with OAnimals that start with PAnimals that start with QAnimals that start with RAnimals that start with SAnimals that start with TU – ZAnimals that start with UAnimals that start with VAnimals that start with WAnimals that start with XAnimals that start with YAnimals that start with ZDogsParks and ZoosCitationContact Us ArthropodaHymenopteraFormicidaeInsectaEuarthropodaAntBy Animals Network TeamThis impressively diverse group of animals has developed hundreds of different adaptations to survive in many different habitats. Scientists estimate that we have discovered only slightly more than half of the ant species in the world. The species that we have discovered are simply fascinating. Read on to learn about the ant. Description of the AntAll ants have elbowed antenna, which are bent like elbows. Their bodies consist of a head, alitrunk, petiole, and gaster. The alitrunk is the first segment of the body, which is attached to the head. The alitrunk is followed by a characteristically narrow segment, called the petiole. Finally, the gaster is the large hind segment of the ant, and is typically ended with a stinger.Interesting Facts About the Ant With over 12,500 identified species, and an estimated 22,000 species worldwide, there are virtually endless facts about ants. Different species have different traits that make them unique. Some of the most unique traits are found in only small groups or individual species.Fungal Farms – There is an entire group of ants, consisting of 47 species, that survives by farming its own food. The leafcutter ants trim segments of fresh vegetation, and carry it to their nests. They use this vegetation to grow their own fungus farms! The fungus is fed to the ant larvae, and the ants feed the fungus and keep it free from bacteria and microbes. This coexistence is called a symbiotic relationship, where both creatures benefit.Guard Ants – In another display of symbiosis, acacia ants and acacia trees work together to survive. The ants use the hollow thorns of the tree to nest in, and feed on the sap of the tree. In return for the free home and food, the acacia ants protect the tree from any potential hazards, such as chewing insects or hungry herbivores. Nothing like a swarm of angry ants to drive you to feed on a different tree!Ants as Bodyguards – Speaking of providing protective details, another group of ants partners with aphids in another symbiotic relationship! These ants follow and protect the aphids as they forage for sap, and in return the aphids produce a highly nutritious nectar secretion for the ants. To release this secretion, the ants use their antennae to stroke the backs of the aphids.Caterpillar Caper – Just like the relationship between ants and aphids, a different species of ants receives preferential treatment from the lycaenid caterpillar. In a similar display, the ants are fed nectar from the caterpillar’s secretions, and in return the ants protect the caterpillar. They will even swarm onto the caterpillar’s back to discourage birds from preying on their caterpillar, as ants taste unpleasant to birds.Habitat of the AntAnts can be found in virtually any ecological niche, and live in a wide range of habitats. They can be found in urban settings, tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, deserts, and many, many more.Distribution of the AntJust like their wide habitat distribution, ants can be found across many different locations as well. They naturally occur in virtually every landmass on earth. The only places without native species of ants are Antarctica, Polynesia, Iceland, Greenland, and Hawaii. In some of these locations invasive ant species have been introduced.Diet of the AntMost ant species are omnivores, and will feed on both plant and animal matter. Many ants feed on the nectar of plants, other insects (including those many times their own weight), fruits and vegetables, human garbage, and meat from carcasses of animals.Ant and Human InteractionAnt and human interaction is generally quite negative. When ants and humans cross paths, bites and stings frequently occur. There are a number of invasive ant species, which pose a problem to native flora and fauna. Humans also pose a danger to native ant species, through direct extermination or indirect activity like land development and pollution.DomesticationWe have not domesticated ants, but ants have domesticated aphids!Does the Ant Make a Good PetAnt farms are a frequent children’s plaything, and can be a great learning activity. Ants as pets are a hands-off animal, and they should not be handled.Ant CareMany types of ants are easy to care for, and can make good pets. Ants should be provided with a substrate habitat for digging a nest, and suitable food to eat. This will range by species, but feeding is generally easiest when insects are provided rather than other food sources.Behavior of the AntMany different species of ants have very complex social structures. Ants identify one another using smell, and ants that are not members of the colony will be attacked. Within the ant colony there will frequently be “classes” of workers, each of which has a different job.Worker ants will have strong mandibles (jaws) and large bodies to move food and protect the nest. Drones are sexually reproducing males, who mate with queens. Queens are the only females capable of reproducing, and they do so on a mass scale.Reproduction of the AntAnts have a wide variety of reproductive strategies. In some species, male drones enter a nest and release a mating pheromone so they are not attacked. These drones will breed with the queen and the queen will produce eggs. In other species, young queens hatch and perform a mating flight with the drones. Breeding occurs in midair, and the now-pregnant queens will dig a nest and begin their own anthill.TAGSantant anatomydronesqueenred antworker antCydni Oldham RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR ArachnidaBrown Recluse ArachnidaGarden Spider ArachnidaSpider Expert Recommendations Dog CareBest Dog Food Expert RecommendationBest Cat Litter Boxes Expert RecommendationBest Self Cleaning Litter Box Dog CareBest Orthopedic Dog Bed Dog CareBest Dog Food for Small Dogs Dog CareBest Dog Toys Dog CareBest No Pull Dog Harness Dog CareBest Wet Dog Food Dog CareBest Dog Food for Sensitive Stomach Dog CareBest Senior Dog FoodAnimals.NET aim to promote interest in nature and animals among children, as well as raise their awareness in conservation and environmental protection. 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Ants: Fun Facts About Ants & Ant Information for Kids

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Ants

Did you know? An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight.

Explore Ants

Argentine Ants

Carpenter Ants

Odorous House Ants

Pavement Ants

Red Imported Fire Ants

Ant Facts for Kids

We’re all familiar with ants, right? Those tiny black insects that steal food off picnic blankets? But did you know ants can also be big, be colors other than black, and even have wings and fly? View some interesting facts about ants for kids below, help Archibald the ant complete his mission by playing the game Archibald’s Adventure, or learn how to make an egg carton ant!

There are more than 12,000 different types of ants all over the world!

Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight. If a second grader was as strong as an ant, they could pick up a car!

Ant colonies are run by a single queen ant, who control all the other ants.

Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies.

Ants don’t have ears. Ants "hear" by feeling rumbles in the ground through their feet.

Ants don’t have lungs. Air enters and leaves through tiny holes all over their body.

When ants fight, it is usually to the death!

Ants leave invisible breadcrumbs (called a pheromone trail) everywhere they go, so they know where they’ve been.

Worker ants can’t have babies. That means when a queen dies, the colony usually dies a few months later.

Ants eat different kinds of foods depending on the type of ant, including sweet sugary foods or fatty oily foods.

Ants communicate through scent, touch, motion, sound, and trophallaxis.

You can make ants on a log with healthy snacks like celery and peanut butter!

Get to know ants:

There are 3 kinds of ants in a colony: The queen, the female workers, and males.

The queen and the males have wings, the workers do not. The queen is the only ant that can lay eggs. A male ant’s job is to mate with future queen ants. Once the queen is old enough to lay eggs, she spends the whole rest of her life laying eggs!

Some worker ants act as soldiers. They protect the colony, gather food, and fight other colonies for more food and space. If they beat another ant colony, they take the other colony’s eggs. When those eggs hatch, the new ants are forced to work for the new colony. They take care of the eggs and babies, find food for the colony, and build the anthills or mounds.

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Argentine Ant Facts for Kids

This type of ant is from Argentina and Brazil and was probably introduced to the United States in freight ships around the 1890’s. These ants can be found in southern states as well as California, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon and Washington.

Size: 1/16" to 1/4"

Shape: Segmented, Oval

Color: Dark brown to black and shiny

Legs: 6

Wings: Varies

Antenna: Yes

Common Name: Argentine ant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insects

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Species: Linepithema humile

What Do Argentine Ants Eat?:

Argentine ants like sweet meals the best but will eat almost anything. That includes meats, eggs, oils and fats. They leave a scent trail everywhere they go so they don’t waste time visiting the same place twice. Unlike most ant types, Argentine queens help with finding food.

Where Do Argentine Ants Live?: Argentine ant live in wet environments typically near a good food source. Their colonies can get huge, sometimes covering entire garden or even a whole back yard.

What Problems Do Argentine Ants Cause?: You don’t really have to worry about Argentine ants trying to hurt you. But they can contaminate food by leaving their bodily waste behind. Yuck!

What Should I Do If I Find Argentine Ants?: Talk to a grown-up right away. Since colonies can take over whole yards, it’s best to have a pest control professional deal with the situation immediately. You can find information on getting rid of Argentine ants at the official National Pest Management Association website.

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Carpenter Ant Info for Kids & Adults

Carpenter ants get their name because they build their nests in wood. Unlike human carpenters who help fix your house, carpenter ants can cause major damage to a house. They put huge holes in the wood of your house to build their nests. The queen of a colony starts her nest deep within wood, then raises the baby carpenter ants there, feeding them saliva and never leaving the nest or feeding herself during this time.

When baby carpenter ants grow up, they become workers with the job of gathering food to feed the next generation. The colony population grows very quickly. It can eventually produce 2,000 or more workers.

There are many types of carpenter ants throughout the U.S., measuring in size from one-quarter inch (about the width of a pencil) for a worker carpenter ant to three-quarters of an inch (about the size of a quarter) for a queen carpenter ant. Read on for more fun carpenter ant facts for kids.

Size: 5/8"

Shape: Oval

Color: Range in color from red to black

Legs: 6

Wings: Varies

Antenna: Yes

Common Name: Carpenter ant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidea

Species: Camponotus

What Do Carpenter Ants Eat?: You may think carpenter ants eat wood, since they dig big holes into the wood. But no! They don’t eat any of it. They dig holes in wood but leave piles of it outside the entrance to their home. Instead, carpenter ants eat living and dead insects, meat, and fats and sugary foods of all kinds such as honeydew and nectar from plants.

Where Do Carpenter Ants Live?: We know carpenter ants build nests in wood, but where? What type of wood do they prefer? Carpenter ants live anywhere they can find water and moldy or damp wood, such as tree stumps, firewood or in the plants around your house.

Carpenter ants also build nests inside, usually entering buildings through wet, damaged wood, although it isn’t uncommon for them to adapt to drier environments. You know you have a colony of carpenter ants if you see piles of sawdust on the floor.

What Problems Do Carpenter Ants Cause?: The good news is that carpenter ants don’t carry disease and can’t really harm you physically. But when building a nest inside a home, they dig smooth tunnels through the wood. These tunnels weaken the wood and potentially damage the wood that keeps the house standing. This kind of damage can be very expensive to fix.

What Should I Do If I See Carpenter Ants?: If you find sawdust on the floor near walls, show a grown-up immediately. A pest control professional will need to be called to assess the situation. You can find information on getting rid of carpenter ants at the official National Pest Management Association website.

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Odorous House Ant Facts for Kids

Something that is odorous smells bad. The odorous house ant gets its name because it commonly nests in or around houses, and because it stinks when crushed. Imagine the smell of a rotten coconut. This is what you’ll smell if you step on one of these ants. They are from the United States, and they are very social. Colonies can include up to 100,000 ants!

Size: 1/16" to 1/8"

Shape: Segmented, oval

Color: Brown or black

Legs: 6

Wings: Varies

Antenna: Yes

Common Name: Odorous house ant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Species: Tapinoma sessile

What Do Odorous House Ants Eat?: Odorous house ants like to eat dead insects and sugary sweets, especially melon.

Where Do Odorous House Ants Live?: Odorous house ants live in the walls and floor cracks of homes. They may also live in exposed soil and under stones, logs, mulch, debris and other items. They typically have a lifespan of several years.

What Problems Do Odorous House Ants Cause?: Odorous house ants do not pose a health threat, they can’t really hurt you. But the waste they leave behind when stealing food can contaminate that food. They can also become a huge annoyance, with colonies so large in or near your home, crawling all over your kitchen, and of course stinking up the place if you try to crush them under your shoe or an object.

What Should I Do If I Find Odorous House Ants?: Don’t squish them! There may be too many to deal with anyway. The better thing to do is have a grown-up speak with a pest control professional to determine the best way to get odorous house ants out of your house. You can find more information on finding the right pest control professional at the official National Pest Management Association website.

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Pavement Ant Facts for Kids

Pavement ants are so named because they like to make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. But don’t be fooled — they can also live inside buildings. They are typically found in the eastern half of the United States, California and Washington. Pavement ant colonies average 3,000 to 4,000 members and have several queens.

Size: 1/8"

Shape: Segmented, oval

Color: Dark brown to black

Legs: 6

Wings: Varies

Antenna: Yes

Common Name: Pavement ant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Species: Tetramorium caespitum

What Do Pavement Ants Eat?: Pavement ants will eat almost anything! This includes insects, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread, meats, nuts, cheese, and even grease.

Where Do Pavement Ants Live?: Pavement ants most commonly live in soil next to and beneath pavement slabs, sidewalks, patios, and driveways. They may also build nests under a building’s foundation and hollow foundation walls.

Are Pavement Ants Harmful?: Don’t worry about pavements ants too much. They don’t pose a health threat and can’t cause too much damage to your home. They can contaminate your food, though! If you find pavement ants, make sure you get professional help to remove them.

What Should I Do If I See Pavement Ants?: As with any ants, if you see a number of pavement ants around your food or throughout your house, show a grown-up, so they can call a pest control professional. An expert will come in to review the situation and figure out the best way to solve it. This goes for if you find ants in your driveway or sidewalk as well. You can learn more about this at the official National Pest Management Association website.

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Red Imported Fire Ant Facts for Kids

Red imported fire ants may have a cool name, and an even cooler nickname (RIFA). But be warned: they are more aggressive than other ant species on the planet. And they have a really painful sting. They should always be avoided!

Red imported fire ants can adapt to many climates and conditions in and around their environment. For example, if the colony senses increased water levels in their nests, they will come together and form a huge ball or raft that is able to float on the water! So yes, they are cool. But very dangerous. Read on to learn more red imported fire ant information for kids.

Size: 1/8" to 3/8"

Shape: Segmented, oval

Color: Dark reddish brown

Legs: 6

Wings: Varies

Antenna: Yes

Common Name: Red imported fire ant

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Species: Solenopsis invicta

What Do Red Imported Fire Ants Eat?: Red imported fire ants primarily eat vegetation. That’s right — even though they will bite people, they can be considered vegetarians. They aren’t biting you to eat or to be mean, but to defend themselves. After all, you’re a lot bigger than they are.

Where Do Red Imported Fire Ants Live?: Red imported fire ant live in very noticeable mounds. These mounds are huge, sometimes a whole foot tall, and typically in the shape of a dome. They like to build these mounds outdoors out of soil, usually in landscape areas like grass or near a building’s foundation. They occasionally enter buildings through holes or cracks in walls and foundations.

Are Red Ants Harmful to Humans?: Yes! Red imported ants do cause harm. The sting (bite) of a red imported fire ant is very painful and often results in a raised welt that becomes a white blister. People who are allergic to insect stings will react even more severely. Plus, the building of their big mounds can damage plant roots and lead to loss of crops.

What Should I Do If I See Red Imported Fire Ants?: The first thing to do if you see important fire ants is to get away from them. If they start crawling on you, they are likely to bite you, and if there are a bunch of them, that could result in a lot of pain.

Next, immediately ask a grown-up to call a pest control professional. Other types of ants are annoying and can contaminate your food, but at least they can’t physically hurt you. You want these ants away from your house as quickly as possible. There is more info on red imported fire ants and how to get rid of them at the official National Pest Management Association website.

Also watch red imported fire ants face off with Formosan termites on episode 3 of Bug Battles!

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Ant

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AfrikaansAlemannischአማርኛअंगिकाÆngliscالعربيةAragonésܐܪܡܝܐԱրեւմտահայերէնArmãneashtiঅসমীয়াAsturianuAtikamekwAvañe'ẽAymar aruAzərbaycancaتۆرکجهBasa BaliBamanankanবাংলাBanjarBân-lâm-gúBasa BanyumasanБашҡортсаБеларускаяБеларуская (тарашкевіца)Bikol CentralБългарскиབོད་ཡིགBosanskiBrezhonegБуряадCatalàЧӑвашлаCebuanoČeštinaChiShonaCymraegDagbanliDanskDeutschDiné bizaadEestiΕλληνικάEmiliàn e rumagnòlEnglishEspañolEsperantoEuskaraفارسیFiji HindiFrançaisGaeilgeGàidhligGalegoГӀалгӀайગુજરાતી客家語/Hak-kâ-ngîХальмг한국어Հայերենहिन्दीHrvatskiIdoIlokanoBahasa IndonesiaInterlinguaИронÍslenskaItalianoעבריתJawaKabɩyɛಕನ್ನಡKapampanganქართულიकॉशुर / کٲشُرҚазақшаKernowekKiswahiliКомиKongoKreyòl ayisyenKurdîКыргызчаКырык марыLadinЛаккуLatinaLatviešuLëtzebuergeschЛезгиLietuviųLi NihaLimburgsLivvinkarjalaLombardMagyarМакедонскиMalagasyമലയാളംमराठीმარგალურიمصرىمازِرونیBahasa Melayuꯃꯤꯇꯩ ꯂꯣꯟ閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄Монголမြန်မာဘာသာNa Vosa VakavitiNederlandsNedersaksiesनेपालीनेपाल भाषा日本語НохчийнNordfriiskNorsk bokmålNorsk nynorskOccitanОлык марийଓଡ଼ିଆOʻzbekcha / ўзбекчаਪੰਜਾਬੀPälzischPangcahپنجابیپښتوПерем комиPinayuananPlattdüütschPolskiPortuguêsRipoarischRomânăRumantschRuna SimiРусиньскыйРусскийСаха тылаSakizayaᱥᱟᱱᱛᱟᱲᱤSarduScotsShqipSicilianuසිංහලسنڌيSlovenčinaSlovenščinaŚlůnskiSoomaaligaکوردیСрпски / srpskiSrpskohrvatski / српскохрватскиSundaSuomiSvenskaTagalogதமிழ்TaclḥitTaqbaylitТатарча / tatarçaతెలుగుไทยThuɔŋjäŋТоҷикӣᏣᎳᎩತುಳುTürkçeTürkmençeTyapУдмуртУкраїнськаاردوئۇيغۇرچە / UyghurcheVahcuenghVepsän kel’Tiếng ViệtWalonWayuunaiki文言West-VlamsWinarayWolof吴语ייִדיש粵語ZazakiŽemaitėška中文Batak Toba

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From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AntsTemporal range: 100 mya–present.[1] Lower Cretaceous – Present

A group of fire ants.

Scientific classification

Domain:

Eukaryota

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Arthropoda

Class:

Insecta

Order:

Hymenoptera

Superfamily:

Formicoidea

Family:

FormicidaeLatreille, 1809

Type species

Lasius nigerLinnaeus, 1758

Cladogram of subfamilies

Martialinae

Leptanillinae

Amblyoponinae

Paraponerinae

Agroecomyrmecinae

Ponerinae

Proceratiinae

Ecitoninae‡

Aenictinae‡

Dorylini‡

Aenictogitoninae‡

Cerapachyinae‡*

Leptanilloidinae‡

Dolichoderinae

Aneuretinae

Pseudomyrmecinae

Myrmeciinae

Ectatomminae

Heteroponerinae

Myrmicinae

Formicinae

A phylogeny of the living ant subfamilies.[2][3]

*Cerapachyinae is paraphyletic

‡ The previous dorylomorph subfamilies were synonymized under Dorylinae by Brady et al. in 2014[4]

An example of symbiosis: the ant protects the aphids and harvests their sugary excretion.

Ants are a kind of insect that lives together in large colonies. They are the family Formicidae.[5][6]

Ants are a lot like bees and wasps. They all came from the same kind of animal a long time ago, but now they are different. There are about 22,000 different kinds of ants, but we have only documented 12,500.[7][8][9] Every kind of ant has a thin middle, called a thorax, and two long rods on their heads called antennae.

Ants live in groups that can be big or small. Some kinds of ants live in small groups and eat other animals. Some ants work together in very big groups. These groups can have millions of ants in them that travel outside every day in a big area. Ants are small, but they are very strong. Some ants are strong enough to carry things that are as heavy as 10 times their own weight. Some ants are called workers. Workers dig tunnels and carry food back to the colony so that other ants and the queen ant can eat.[10] The Queen ant is the mother of all the ants in the colony. She is the only non-worker ant.

Colonies[change | change source]

The groups that ants live in are called colonies. A colony has a female ant called a queen which lays eggs. Those eggs will grow into more ants. Big colonies of ants have different kinds of ants that grow from the eggs. These are called different castes of ants. Some are workers which do jobs like carrying and digging, and soldiers which fight other animals. Worker and soldier ants are females. Another type of ant are drones which are male ants.[11]

Really big ant colonies are sometimes called superorganisms. This means the ants work together so well that they are like little parts of one big animal. Ants cannot live by themselves for very long because they need to work with other ants.[12][13]

Ants have colonies almost everywhere on planet Earth. Antarctica lacks ants because it's very cold and there's not much food. Small islands may not have ants.

Evolution[change | change source]

Ants fossilised in Baltic amber

The family Formicidae belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees, sawflies and wasps. Ants evolved from a lineage within the vespoid wasps.

Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ants arose in the Lower Cretaceous period about 110 to 130 million years ago, or even earlier. One estimate from DNA studies places the origin of ants at ≈140 million years ago (mya).[14] Another study puts it in the Jurassic at 185 ± 36 mya (95% confidence limits).[15]

After the rise of flowering plants about 100 million years ago ants diversified. They became ecologically dominant about 60 million years ago.[16][17][18]

In 1966 E.O. Wilson and his colleagues identified the fossil remains of an ant (Sphecomyrma freyi) from the Cretaceous period. The specimen, trapped in amber dating back to more than 80 million years ago, has features of both ants and wasps.[19] Sphecomyrma was probably a ground forager but some suggest that primitive ants were likely to have been predators underneath the surface of the soil.

During the Cretaceous period, a few species of primitive ants ranged widely on the Laurasian super-continent (the northern hemisphere). They were scarce in comparison to other insects, representing about 1% of the insect population.

Ants became dominant after adaptive radiation at the beginning of the Cainozoic. By the Oligocene and Miocene ants had come to represent 20-40% of all insects found in major fossil deposits. Of the species that lived in the Eocene epoch, approximately one in ten genera survive to the present. Genera surviving today comprise 56% of the genera in Baltic amber fossils (early Oligocene), and 92% of the genera in Dominican amber fossils (apparently early Miocene).[16][20]p23

Termites, though sometimes called white ants, are not ants and belong to the order Isoptera. Termites are actually more closely related to cockroaches and mantids. Termites are eusocial but differ greatly in the genetics of reproduction. The similar social structure is attributed to convergent evolution.[21] Velvet ants look like large ants, but are wingless female wasps.[22][23]

Development and reproduction[change | change source]

Meat eater ant nest during swarming.

The life of an ant starts from an egg. If the egg is fertilised, the progeny will be female (diploid); if not, it will be male (haploid). Ants develop by complete metamorphosis with the larval stages passing through a pupal stage before emerging as an adult. The larva is fed and cared for by workers.

Food is given to the larvae by trophallaxis, a process in which an ant regurgitates liquid food held in its crop. This is also how adults share food, stored in the 'social stomach', among themselves.

Larvae may also be given solid food brought back by foraging workers, and may even be taken to captured prey in some species. The larvae grow through a series of moults and enter the pupal stage.[24]

The differentiation into queens and workers (which are both female), and different castes of workers, is influenced in some species by the food the larvae get. Genetic influences, and the control of gene expression by the feeding are complex. The determination of caste is a major subject of research.[20]p351, 372[25]

A new worker spends the first few days of its adult life caring for the queen and young. It then does digging and other nest work, and later, defends the nest and forages. These changes are sometimes fairly sudden, and define what are called temporal castes. An explanation for the sequence is suggested by the high casualties involved in foraging, making it an acceptable risk only for ants that are older and are likely to die soon of natural causes.[26][27]

Mating[change | change source]

Most ant species have a system in which only the queen and breeding females can mate. Contrary to popular belief, some ant nests have multiple queens (polygyny). The life history of Harpegnathos saltator is

exceptional among ants because both queens and some workers

reproduce sexually.[28]

The winged male ants, called drones, emerge from pupae with the breeding females (although some species, like army ants, have wingless queens), and do nothing in life except eat and mate.

The nuptial flight[change | change source]

Most ants produce a new generation each year.[29] During the species specific breeding period, new reproductives, winged males and females leave the colony in what is called a nuptial flight. Typically, the males take flight before the females. Males then use visual cues to find a common mating ground, for example, a landmark such as a pine tree to which other males in the area converge. Males secrete a mating pheromone that females follow. Females of some species mate with just one male, but in some others they may mate with anywhere from one to ten or more different males.[20] Mated females then seek a suitable place to begin a colony. There, they break off their wings and begin to lay and care for eggs. The females store the sperm they obtain during their nuptial flight to selectively fertilise future eggs.

The first workers to hatch are weak and smaller than later workers, but they begin to serve the colony immediately. They enlarge the nest, forage for food and care for the other eggs. This is how new colonies start in most species. Species that have multiple queens may have a queen leaving the nest along with some workers to found a colony at a new site,[20]p143 a process akin to swarming in honeybees.

Ants mating.

A wide range of reproductive strategies have been noted in ant species. Females of many species are known to be capable of reproducing asexually through parthenogenesis,[30] and one species, Mycocepurus smithii is known to be all-female.[31]

Ant colonies can be long-lived. The queens can live for up to 30 years, and workers live from 1 to 3 years. Males, however, are more transitory, and survive only a few weeks.[32] Ant queens are estimated to live 100 times longer than solitary insects of a similar size.[33]

Ants are active all year long in the tropics but, in cooler regions, survive the winter in a state of dormancy or inactivity. The forms of inactivity are varied and some temperate species have larvae going into the inactive state (diapause), while in others, the adults alone pass the winter in a state of reduced activity.[34]

Uses[change | change source]

It may seem strange that ants have uses, but there are some. Some people use ants for food, medicine and rituals. Some species of ants are used for pest control (they eat pests that destroy food for humans). They can damage crops and enter buildings, though. Some species, like the red imported fire ant, live in places where they came to by complete accident.

Related pages[change | change source]

Formic acid

Leaf-cutter ant

Notes[change | change source]

↑ Moreau CS, Bell CD, Vila R, Archibald SB, Pierce NE (April 2006). "Phylogeny of the ants: diversification in the age of angiosperms". Science. 312 (5770): 101–4. Bibcode:2006Sci...312..101M. doi:10.1126/science.1124891. PMID 16601190. S2CID 20729380.

↑ Ward, Philip S (2007). "Phylogeny, classification, and species-level taxonomy of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1668: 549–563. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1668.1.26.

↑ Rabeling C, Brown JM, Verhaagh M (2008). "Newly discovered sister lineage sheds light on early ant evolution". PNAS. 105 (39): 14913–7. Bibcode:2008PNAS..10514913R. doi:10.1073/pnas.0806187105. PMC 2567467. PMID 18794530.

↑ Brady, Seán G; Fisher, Brian L; Schultz, Ted R; Ward, Philip S (2014). "The rise of army ants and their relatives: diversification of specialized predatory doryline ants". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 14: 2–14. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-14-93. PMC 4021219. PMID 24886136.

↑ pronounced /fɔrˈmɪsɨdiː/). The word ant comes from ante, a Middle English which comes from æmette of Old English and is related to the Old High German āmeiza. All of these words come from West Germanic *amaitjo. It meant "the biter" (from *ai-, "off, away" and *mait- "cut"). ""ant". Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 6 June 2008.

↑ "Ant. Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved 30 May 2009. The family name Formicidae is from the Latin word formīca ("ant"). Simpson DP (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5 ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. ISBN 978-0-304-52257-6. The word "ant" in other languages such as the Portuguese formiga, Italian formica, Spanish hormiga, Romanian furnică and French fourmi come from the Latin word.

↑ Bolton, Barry (1995). A new General Catalogue of the Ants of the World. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-61514-4.

↑ "Hymenoptera name server. Formicidae species count". Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2010-12-06.

↑ La nueva taxonomía de hormigas. Pages 45-48 in Fernández, F. Introducción a las hormigas de la región neotropical (PDF). Instituto Humboldt, Bogotá. 2003. {{cite book}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |authors= (help)

↑ Wade, Nicholas (15 July 2008). "Taking a cue from ants on evolution of humans". New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2008.

↑ Oster, George F.; Wilson, Edward O. (1978). Caste and ecology in the social insects. Vol. 12. Princeton University Press, Princeton. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0-691-02361-8. PMID 740003. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)

↑ Flannery, Tim (2011). A Natural History of the Planet. Grove/Atlantic, Inc. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-8021-9560-9.

↑ Brady S.G. 2003. Evolution of the army ant syndrome: the origin and long-term evolutionary stasis of a complex of behavioral and reproductive adaptations. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 100, 6575–6579.Evolution of the army ant syndrome: The origin and long-term evolutionary stasis of a complex of behavioral and reproductive adaptations | PNAS

↑ Crozier R.H, Jermiin L.S. & Chiotis M. 1997. Molecular evidence for a Jurassic origin of ants. Naturwissenschaften 84, 22–23.

↑ 16.0 16.1 Grimaldi D, Agosti D (2001). "A formicine in New Jersey Cretaceous amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and early evolution of the ants". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 97 (25): 13678–13683. doi:10.1073/pnas.240452097. PMC 17635. PMID 11078527.

↑ Moreau CS; et al. (2006). "Phylogeny of the ants: diversification in the Age of Angiosperms". Science. 312 (5770): 101–104. Bibcode:2006Sci...312..101M. doi:10.1126/science.1124891. PMID 16601190. S2CID 20729380.

↑ Wilson E.O, Hölldobler B (2005). "The rise of the ants: A phylogenetic and ecological explanation". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 102 (21): 7411–7414. Bibcode:2005PNAS..102.7411W. doi:10.1073/pnas.0502264102. PMC 1140440. PMID 15899976.

↑ Wilson E.O., Carpenter FM, Brown WL (1967). "The first Mesozoic ants". Science. 157 (3792): 1038–1040. Bibcode:1967Sci...157.1038W. doi:10.1126/science.157.3792.1038. PMID 17770424. S2CID 43155424.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 Holldobler, Bert; Wilson, Edward O. (1998). The Ants. Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-52092-4.

↑ Thorne, Barbara L (1997). "Evolution of eusociality in termites" (PDF). Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 28 (5): 27–53. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.28.1.27. PMC 349550. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2010-12-07.

↑ "Order Isoptera - Termites". Iowa State University Entomology. 2004. Retrieved 12 June 2008.

↑ "Family Mutillidae - Velvet ants". Iowa State University Entomology. 2004. Retrieved 12 June 2008.

↑ Gillott, Cedric (1995). Entomology. Springer. p. 325. ISBN 978-0-306-44967-3.

↑ Anderson, Kirk E.; Linksvayer, Timothy A.; Smith, Chris R. (2008). "The causes and consequences of genetic caste determination in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)" (PDF). Myrmecol. News. 11: 119–132. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-12-07.

↑ Traniello JFA (1989). "Foraging strategies of ants". Annual Review of Entomology. 34: 191–210. doi:10.1146/annurev.en.34.010189.001203.

↑ Sorensen A, Busch TM, Vinson SB (1984). "Behavioral flexibility of temporal sub-castes in the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in response to food". Psyche. 91 (3–4): 319–332. doi:10.1155/1984/39236.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

↑ Peeters C, Holldobler B (1995). "Reproductive cooperation between queens and their mated workers: The complex life history of an ant with a valuable nest" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 92 (24): 10977–10979. Bibcode:1995PNAS...9210977P. doi:10.1073/pnas.92.24.10977. PMC 40553. PMID 11607589.

↑ Taylor, Richard W. (2007). "Bloody funny wasps! Speculations on the evolution of eusociality in ants". In Snelling R.R., B.L. Fisher, & P S. Ward (ed.). Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): homage to E.O. Wilson – 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 80. American Entomological Institute. pp. 580–609.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)

↑ Heinze, Jurgen; Tsuji, Kazuki (1995). "Ant reproductive strategies" (PDF). Res. Popul. Ecol. 37 (2): 135–149. doi:10.1007/BF02515814. S2CID 21948488. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2010-12-07.

↑ Himler, Anna G.; Caldera, EJ; Baer, BC; Fernández-Marín, H; Mueller, UG (2009). "No sex in fungus-farming ants or their crops". Proc. R. Soc. B. 276 (1667): 2611–2616. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0313. PMC 2686657. PMID 19369264.

↑ Keller L (1998). "Queen lifespan and colony characteristics in ants and termites". Insectes Sociaux. 45 (3): 235–246. doi:10.1007/s000400050084. S2CID 24541087.

↑ Resh, Vincent H.; Carde, Ring T. (2003). Encyclopedia of Insects. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 29–32. ISBN 978-0-12-586990-4.

↑ Kipyatkov V.E (2001). "Seasonal life cycles and the forms of dormancy in ants (Hymenoptera, Formicoidea)". Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae. 65 (2): 198–217.

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