Ant

Ants are small insects related to wasps and bees. Most ants in a colony are wingless, with the notable exception being the Queen (although they shed these wings after their nuptial flight). Ants can be easily distinguished by their slender thorax and bent antennae. Ants have colonized every continent on the planet with the exception of Antarctica. Ants live and work together in colonies and divide the labor with a caste system.

Anatomy

As with all insects, ants have an exoskeleton, and their body is made of 3 major segments; the head is generally used for sensory input, the thorax contains vital organs and hosts the legs, and the abdomen is specialized for digestion and reproduction.

Ants breathe through spiracles on the sides of their body, an open circulatory system, and a nervous system consisting a brain and ventral nerve cord.

As ants are in the order Hymenoptera, their top and bottom wings are hooked together in a sort of velcro fashion. Their stinger is a modified ovipositor, and is generally able to dispense venom when needed. They have chewing mouthparts (mandibles) which are modified for defense in some species.

Ants are able to communicate in a multitude of ways, the most distinct being pheromones and chemical trails. Chemical trails are pheremones left behind to inform other members of the colony of a food source, while other pheromones can alert ants to attackers, identify dead ants, and identify if an ant is a part of the colony and what role they play.

Behavior

Ants live together in complex colonies and split labor into different roles, similar to a caste system. A nest will have at least one queen, some male drones, and many female worker ants. The worker ants' duties are split up and can include scavenging for food, taking care of larvae, caring for injured ants, or standing by in the case a replacement ant is needed.

Ants generally defend themselves with either their mandibles or their sting.

Depending on the species, ants can be scavengers, predators, or herbivores.

Life Cycle

Unfertilized eggs will become male ants, while fertilized eggs become females. The ant larvae will be taken care of by worker ants until it reaches its pupal stage, at which point it will become an adult. Ant workers live from 1 - 3 years, while queens can live up to 30 years