Ants Are Awsome

by viki

Artwork: http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2012/03/09/creative-photos-of-ants/

Joined Apr 2020
Published Books 8

1. Ants are the longest living insects

Unlike some bugs who might only live for days or even hours, the queen ant of one particular species – the Pogonomyrmex Owyheei – can live up to 30 years

2. The ant is one of the world’s strongest creatures in relation to its size

A single ant can carry 50 times its own bodyweight, and they’ll even work together to move bigger objects as a group!

3. Ants are social insects which live in colonies

The colony, also called a formicary, is made up of one or more egg-laying queens and a large amount of female “worker” ants who tend to her, build and maintain the nest, forage for food and care for the young.

Male ants have wings and their only function is to mate with the queen.

4. The largest ant’s nest ever found was over 3,700 miles wide!

Found in Argentina in 2000, the ginormous colony housed 33 ant populations which had merged into one giant supercolony, with millions of nests and billions of workers!

5. Ants don’t have ears, and some of them don’t have eyes!

Ants “listen” by feeling vibrations from the ground through their feet, and eye-less ants such as the driver ant species can communicate by using their antennae!

Plus, they can send chemical signals (called pheremones) released through their body to send messages to other ants! They send out warnings when danger’s near, leave trails of pheremones leading to food sources and even use them to attract a mate – a sort of ant love potion!

6. Ants have two stomachs

One of their stomachs is for holding food for their own consumption, and the second one is to hold food to be shared with other ants.

This process is known as trophallaxis and allows an ant colony to work extremely efficiently. It allows for the ants who forage for food to feed those which stay behind and tend to the duties of the queen and the nest.

7. Ants are slave-makers

They invade neighboring ant colonies, capturing its inhabitants and forcing them to work for them. This process is known as ‘slave raiding’.

Slave-making ants are specialized to parasite a single species or a group of related species which are often close relatives to them. The captured ants will work as if they were in their own colony, while the slave-making workers will only concentrate on replenishing their labor force.

8.Ants can help humans and the environment

Ants have a major influence in ecosystems worldwide and their roles are diverse. While some ants are considered pests, others act as biological-control agents. Ants benefit ecosystems by dispersing seeds, pollinating plants and improving the quality of soil. Ants might also benefit our health, as a potential source of new medicines such as antibiotics.

So when you next see an ant, before you think to kill her, consider how fascinating she really is.

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