All About Ants
By George Haraguchi
Have you ever wondered what species of ant you are looking at? Well, you might have seen the ants wandering on the sidewalk or in the grass, but you don’t really look up close at the traits that define them. Sometimes it’s what they look like that defines them or what they do.
People usually think there is only one species of ant, and that is usually black ants. The reason that people mostly see black ants is because they aren’t looking close enough. Most ants are dark colors and if you don’t look close enough they all look the same. Black. Most people think ants are just annoying, but others love ants because of their fascination.
Most people think that ants only eat sugar filled items, but that is actually not true. Every living animal needs protein and ants prefer items like superworms and cockroaches. The protein is used to strengthen the ant and help it grow if young. The sugar the ants eat keeps them awake, kind of like coffee for adults. Ants have two stomachs, a personal stomach and a social stomach. Ants have a process called trophallaxis where they feed mouth to mouth. When they get food only some ants come and eat. The reason for this is so they don’t endanger the queen(s). They fill up their stomach and the social stomach and go through trophallaxis to feed the other members of the colony.
Every type of ant has a life cycle. They start of as a embryo and then turn into larvae. Then they hatch and are young ants. After that they turn into adult ants and eventually die. This cycle of ant is usually two months long. One interesting fact is dracula ants get their protein from their own larvaes blood!
Did you know there are millions of possible queen ants? It’s true because each year each queen produces alates that are male or female. Every year female alates fly around looking for a male alate to breed with. Then after this season called nuptial flights the male alates die because there is no reason for them anymore, but the female queens lose their wings and look for a place to make a nest. Alates from the same colony can’t breed with each other, but black crazy ant alates can breed with other alates from the same colony meaning they can have hundreds of queens.
Usually most colonies only have one queen but there are some ant species that polygynous meaning they can have more than one queen. Yellow crazy ants, and black crazy ants are polygynous but not all polygynous ants have hundreds of queens. Yellow crazy ants don’t usually have more than 10 queens but black crazy ants can have lots of queens. Also some species are polymorphic meaning the sizes of the ants can vary.
This article was inspired by AntsCanada.
Vocabulary
Trophallaxis - the process of mouth to mouth feeding used by ants
Embryo - a ant that is growing in a ant egg
Larvae - the final growing process of a baby ant
Alates - the ants that turn into queens after mating season
Nuptial Flights - the season when alates mate
Polygynous - types of species that can have more than one queen
Polymorphic - species that can grow in different sizes
 |
| These are Fire Ants. Fire ants are from South America and have a painful bite. |
Have you ever wondered what species of ant you are looking at? Well, you might have seen the ants wandering on the sidewalk or in the grass, but you don’t really look up close at the traits that define them. Sometimes it’s what they look like that defines them or what they do.
 |
| This is a leafcutter ant. Leafcutter ants are know for cutting up leaves and using it for farming the food they produce for their colony. |
People usually think there is only one species of ant, and that is usually black ants. The reason that people mostly see black ants is because they aren’t looking close enough. Most ants are dark colors and if you don’t look close enough they all look the same. Black. Most people think ants are just annoying, but others love ants because of their fascination.
 |
| Asian Marauder Ants eating a superworm. Asian Marauder Ants scientific name is Pheidologeton diversus. |
Most people think that ants only eat sugar filled items, but that is actually not true. Every living animal needs protein and ants prefer items like superworms and cockroaches. The protein is used to strengthen the ant and help it grow if young. The sugar the ants eat keeps them awake, kind of like coffee for adults. Ants have two stomachs, a personal stomach and a social stomach. Ants have a process called trophallaxis where they feed mouth to mouth. When they get food only some ants come and eat. The reason for this is so they don’t endanger the queen(s). They fill up their stomach and the social stomach and go through trophallaxis to feed the other members of the colony.
 |
| Bullet ant’s bites are painful and are found in South America. |
Every type of ant has a life cycle. They start of as a embryo and then turn into larvae. Then they hatch and are young ants. After that they turn into adult ants and eventually die. This cycle of ant is usually two months long. One interesting fact is dracula ants get their protein from their own larvaes blood!
 |
| Alate ant are the young ant queens of the colony. |
Did you know there are millions of possible queen ants? It’s true because each year each queen produces alates that are male or female. Every year female alates fly around looking for a male alate to breed with. Then after this season called nuptial flights the male alates die because there is no reason for them anymore, but the female queens lose their wings and look for a place to make a nest. Alates from the same colony can’t breed with each other, but black crazy ant alates can breed with other alates from the same colony meaning they can have hundreds of queens.
 |
| Ants carrying larvae to move them to a safer or different place. |
Usually most colonies only have one queen but there are some ant species that polygynous meaning they can have more than one queen. Yellow crazy ants, and black crazy ants are polygynous but not all polygynous ants have hundreds of queens. Yellow crazy ants don’t usually have more than 10 queens but black crazy ants can have lots of queens. Also some species are polymorphic meaning the sizes of the ants can vary.
This article was inspired by AntsCanada.
Vocabulary
Trophallaxis - the process of mouth to mouth feeding used by ants
Embryo - a ant that is growing in a ant egg
Larvae - the final growing process of a baby ant
Alates - the ants that turn into queens after mating season
Nuptial Flights - the season when alates mate
Polygynous - types of species that can have more than one queen
Polymorphic - species that can grow in different sizes
Comments
Post a Comment