Hymenopterans

Dorylomorph subfamilies Apomyrminae Cerapachyinae Dorylinae Ecitoninae Formicomorph subfamilies: Aneuretinae Dolichoderinae Formicinae - e.g. Formica Leptanillomorph subfamilies: Leptanillinae Leptanilloidinae Myrmeciomorph subfamilies: Myrmeciinae eg. Myrmecia Pseudomyrmecinae Myrmicomorph subfamilies: Agroecomyrmecinae Myrmicinae ...

Including:

• Ant - Ancestry
• Ant - Morphology
• Ant - Development
• Ant - Communication and behavior
• Ant - Ant cooperation and competion
• Ant - Types
• Ant - Relationships between ants and other species
• Ant - Humans and ants

Read more here: » Ant: Encyclopedia - Ant

An ant colony is an underground lair where ants live. Colonies consist of a series of underground chambers, connected to each other and the surface of the earth by small tunnels. There are rooms for nurseries, food storage, and mating. The colony is built and maintained by legions of worker ants, who carry tiny bits of dirt in their mandibles and deposit them near the exit of the colony, forming an anthill. Ant colonies are eusocial, and are very much like those found in other social Hymenopterans, though the various groups of ...

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There is a great diversity among ants and their behaviors. They range in size from 2 to about 25 millimetres (about 0.08 to 1 inch). Their colour may vary, most are red or black, but other colours can also be seen. A few types, such as the genus Pheidole of North America, have a metallic lustre. See list of ant genera (alphabetical) for an alphabetical compendium of worldwide ant genera, and antbase.org/Hymenoptera Name Serverfor a complete catalogue of all the currently known ant species of the world and their sy ...

See also:

Ant, Ant - Ancestry, Ant - Morphology, Ant - Development, Ant - Communication and behavior, Ant - Types, Ant - Relationships between ants and other species, Ant - Humans and ants

Read more here: » Ant: Encyclopedia II - Ant - Types

Ants are useful for clearing out insect pests and aerating the soil. On the other hand, they can become annoyances when they invade homes, yards, gardens and fields. Carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. Nests may be destroyed by tracing the ants' trails back to the nest, then pouring boiling water into it to kill the queen. (Killing individual ants is less than effective due to the secretion of pheromones mentioned above). Ordinary chalk can be used to keep ants at bay; drawing a line or circle around the protect ...

See also:

Ant, Ant - Ancestry, Ant - Morphology, Ant - Development, Ant - Communication and behavior, Ant - Types, Ant - Relationships between ants and other species, Ant - Humans and ants

Read more here: » Ant: Encyclopedia II - Ant - Humans and ants

Ant communication is primarily through chemicals called pheromones. Because most ants spend their time in direct contact with the ground, these chemical messages are more developed than in other Hymenopterans. So, for instance, when a forager finds food on its way home (found typically through remembered landmarks and the position of the sun), it will leave a trail along the ground, which in a short time other ants will follow. When they return home they will reinforce the trail, bringing other ants, until the food is exhausted, after which ...

See also:

Ant, Ant - Ancestry, Ant - Morphology, Ant - Development, Ant - Communication and behavior, Ant - Types, Ant - Relationships between ants and other species, Ant - Humans and ants

Read more here: » Ant: Encyclopedia II - Ant - Communication and behavior

Ants are distinguished from other insects by the combination of elbowed antennae, a strongly constricted second abdominal segment forming a distinct node-like petiole, a wingless worker caste, and the presence of a metapleural gland. They can sense with organs on the legs, antenna, thorax and head which can detect sound vibrations moving through the ground. Also, they communicate with chemicals, having at least 10–20 chemical "words". Most queens and male ants have wings, which they lose after nuptial flight; however wingless queen ...

See also:

Ant, Ant - Ancestry, Ant - Morphology, Ant - Development, Ant - Communication and behavior, Ant - Types, Ant - Relationships between ants and other species, Ant - Humans and ants

Read more here: » Ant: Encyclopedia II - Ant - Morphology

Ants are holometabolous, and develop by complete metamorphosis, passing through larval and pupal stages before they become adults. The larval stage is particularly helpless - for instance it lacks legs entirely - because it does not need to care for itself. The difference between queens and workers, and between different castes of workers when they exist, is determined by feeding in the larval stage. Food is given to the larvae by a process called trophallaxis in which an ant regurgitates food previously held in its crop for communal storage ...

See also:

Ant, Ant - Ancestry, Ant - Morphology, Ant - Development, Ant - Communication and behavior, Ant - Types, Ant - Relationships between ants and other species, Ant - Humans and ants

Read more here: » Ant: Encyclopedia II - Ant - Development