Ants: species, features of the external and internal structure of the body, reproduction. How many legs, eyes do you have? What does an ant eaten in nature, where it lives, what benefits it brings, how much and where does it live? How does an ant family live? How many times does an ant lifts more of its weight?

Ants are unique creatures: possessing a simple structure of the nervous system and small size, they are capable of much.

Ants are the most common insects, there are more than 14 thousand species. Their habitat is the whole world. Exceptions - some islands, Antarctica. The number of ants is huge, although the size of the average ant is only a few millimeters, but their share is 10-25% of the biomass of all animals of the planet.

Who is an ant, as it looks like in nature, under a microscope, to what kind of animals it belongs to: signs of an ant, as an insect, photo

The ant belongs to the class of insects, the type - arthropods from the webbing detachment, the family - ants. These are stinging creatures. These insects are the closest relatives of the OS and bees, many have a sting on the abdomen, toxic glands.

• The size depends on the type, the status of an ant, and it happens from 1 mm to 5 cm. Females are larger, have wings. The wings become unnecessary after the wedding season, so they bite them. The color is all kinds of.
• Head, chest, abdomen are connected by a thin waist. Ants cannot see clearly, but they distinguish between movement. This is due to the structure: the organs of vision consist of many lenses. There are additional simple eyes on top. The ant has six thin paws with claws that climb on plants.
• The antennae on the head are characterized by a segmental structure. These are tactile organs. Through them, the ant feels smells, vibration, identifies air flows.
• By smell, ants find out the location of the feed, identify fellow tribesmen, give alarm, requests for help.
• The main means of protection are anticoic acid and gum. Antic acid is a poison produced by glands. The gums are powerful upper jaws with which the ants attack, protect, hold prey.

Signs of an ant as an insect

• Public lifestyle in the colony.
• Casters: females, males, workers.
• Metalemal iron, which serves to disinfect the nest. Its secret has antibiotic properties. The iron is on the chest, in its posterior part. Other membranes do not have such glands.
• Characteristic reduced veins on the wings of females, males.
• A narrow stalk of 1-2 members of members connects the chest with the abdomen.
• The presence of crankshaft antennas that serve for manipulations with small objects.
• Mandibules - upper jaws, gums, ants have a jagged chewing edge in ants.
• Larvae have no individual cells. Ants lick and move the brood. Other membranes do not do this.

The science of ants: what is it called?

Mirmecology is a science that studies ants. The origin of the name is ancient Greek. One of the founders is the entomologist Erich Vasmann. This scientist was one of the first to write a scientific work about ants, their social life.

Where does the ant lives and how much does the ant live?

Live in the nests-anthills with families or colony. An anthill can be:

• digging soil under the stone,
• built in the trunk of a decrepit tree,
• built directly in the dwellings of people.

Parasical species can live in other people's nests. Farm ants capture other species, keep in their anthill, use as labor.

The average life expectancy of the ant is 3-5 years. But the life date of ants varies greatly and depends on several factors.

Depending on the caste

• Males live for several weeks. They fulfill their function - fertilize the uterus and die, being killed by their fellow tribesmen or enemies.
• Working ants live for 1-3 years.
• Soldiers according to physiological data can live for a long time, but due to their work - the protection of the anthill, they die quickly enough.
• The uterus live the longest, some up to 20 years.

Depending on the type

Large species live longer. The longest life expectancy is among tropical ants who have been living in an anthill throughout their lives. So the working individuals of ants-blondes can live for 5 years, and the life of the uterus lasts 20-22 years.

Depending on climatic conditions

The colder the climate, the longer the ants live. Insects living in the northern regions in the cold period fall into hibernation, lasting up to 9 months. Physiological processes practically stop.

Depending on the type of activity

The life of ants working in an anthill is longer than those who work outside, they do not become victims of predators.

Interesting. The debtor’s record holder became the uterus of the tree. It was recorded that she lived for 28 years.

What does an ant in nature eat?

The diet is diverse, its character depends on the type.

Anti-predators

The food of anti-predators exclusively animal origin. They feed the brood with it. Without protein foods, larvae are not able to develop.

Their diet:

• invertebrates;
• all kinds of insects, larvae;
• different frog size;
• small lizards, but with a large number they can attack a large individual;
• chicks that fell out of the nest;
• birds that do not fly;
• any wounded, immobilized animal,
• the corpses of animals.

Interesting.There is a unique look-drama ants that suck juice from their own larvae. But the larvae do not die, they quickly restore strength, eating insects brought by them.

Personable ants

They prefer plant nutrition. Eating options are different. So anti-fingers grind food, moisten the resulting flour with saliva and eat such a semblance of dough. Muravi-two-sided ants digest food through an endosimbion bacterium in the intestine. Listroxes grow a mushroom lord, which is subsequently eaten.

Their diet:

• curly wood,
• seeds of various herbs,
• roots,,
• cereal crops,
• dry and ripe fruits of fruits, berries, vegetables,
• plant juice,
• nuts.

Omnivorous ants

• These types of ants are widely used in nature. They can eat any vegetable, animal origin. This is especially true for pharaoh or house ants. They eat everything: from small invertebrates to seeds, cottage cheese and sweets.
• There is a division by age. Larvae are given food rich in proteins, and adults with carbohydrates, for rapidly replenished with waste energy.
• Some ants are bred by an aphid: they care, protect against predators, close from the weather. At the same time, ants feed on aphid secretions - a pad, which they get, tickling the abdomen of aphids.

What benefits do ants bring, why are ants of forest orderlies?

Ants heal, purify nature:

• contribute to the speedy decomposition of rotten trees and stumps;
• gather small twigs, leaves, needles, scales for the construction of an anthill, where they rot much faster;
• carry seeds, contributing to the spread of plants;
• pollinate flowers, eating nectar;
• eat weak animals;
• they eat corpses, preventing the spread of diseases, infections, harmful bacteria;
• eat slugs, caterpillars, beetles, larvae of harmful insects;
• increase soil fertility, loosen it during the construction of an anthill, enrich oxygen, which is especially important for heavy and clay soils;
• are food for birds;
• sticking ants under the wings, birds cleanse feathers from parasites;
• red forest ants emit ant alcohol. Based on it, medications are produced.

That is why these insects are called the "orderly of the forest."

What does an ordinary ant, body, head of an ant are consists of?

The body of the ant protects the chitin shell - exoskeleton.

• The head of each species is distinguished by a structure. The upper jaws are located on the head, serving for the capture of food, protection, construction - mandibules. There are also eyes here. The crankshafts, serving the senses, crown the head. The ant uses them to recognize odors, vibrations, reception/transmission of signals, recognition of relatives.
• Mesosoma - three thoracic parts. A narrow waist connecting the two body segments is called a pedolar, consists of memberships, one or two.
• The abdomen of many working individuals has a sting, excretory glands. It contains organs: digestive, reproductive.
• The paws end with claws.

Is there a heart, nervous, respiratory system, eyes, vision, lungs at the ant than breathing, sees an ant?

• The heart of the ant is represented by a muscular tube that stretches along the back. This tube pumps hemolymph - a colorless fluid that performs the role of blood.
• The central nervous system is represented by the body stretching throughout the body with several nerve nodes. The supra -gum ganglion is a key component of the nervous system - this is the anthogether’s brain, temporary connections are formed in it.
• The respiratory system is a tracheal that opens with spilles (stigoms) outward.
• Ants have two eyes of the eyes: facet and simple. Faceter consists of many lenses, can distinguish movement. Three simple eyes from above. They determine illumination, polarization. Underground representatives can be completely blind.

How many legs, eyes, wings have?

• The ant has six well -developed paws. The first pair has brushes for cleaning antennae. The second pair is spurs for protection or attack. The third pair has a zabina for convenience to move along smooth and vertical surfaces.
• Basically, the ant has 5 eyes. Two facet eyes consist of lenses - faces, the number of which can vary from 10 to 1000 or more. Three simple eyes. But not everyone has developed their eyes, for example, do not have eye ants at all.
• Females, males of ants have four wings.

What dimensions, height, length of the ant, how much does the anti -ordinary ant weigh?

• The dimensions of ants can vary from 1-30 mm, although some representatives grow to 50 mm. The smallest ants from the genus Monomorium, the length of the worker is 1-2 mm, the uterus is 3-4 mm. The largest representatives, African stray ants, have dimensions: male - 3 cm, female when giving eggs - 5 cm.
  But the largest were ants from the extinct clan Formicium: the female was 7 cm, wingspan - 15 cm.
• The easiest look is pharaoh, the middle individual weighs 1-2 mg. Red, black ants reach 5-7 mg. The most severe look is ants-pools, up to 90 mg. The weight of the uterus of the African vagabond ants is the most severe individual, up to 10 g.

How many times does an ant lifts more of its weight?

The average weight is 50 times higher than its own. Ant groups are able to raise even more weight.

What do ants are distinguished with a bite?

In most cases, ants emit poison - anticolor acid. But some species have another poison at their disposal. Fiery ants have a special poison, which contains an alkaloid piperidine. And the poison of the ants-pool includes the strongest toxin-nodonatoxin, which causes pain for a long time-about a day.

Interesting. In Central Africa, ragged wounds are sewn with mandibula: the edges of the wound are shifted, an angry ant, which squeezes the gums and connects the edges of the wound, are brought to them. The ants of the ant are immediately cut off and the mandibules will not be dispersed.

What is the difference between ants and other insects?

Ants are socialized: they live in a colony, have a clear structure and hierarchy. All members of the colony interact with each other, carry out joint work.

Ants have intelligence:

• they stock up food
• “Farms” are bred with aphids, which in winter are covered in an anthill,
• save the larvae, when the anthill is destroyed.

There are crankshafts, as well as metap -transmitted iron with an antibiotic secret. They have a thin waist of 1-2 members who connects the chest and abdomen.

How does an ant family live?

The family has a clear structure. Each ant is assigned a certain role that may change or not depends on the type. The number of family may consist of tens to millions.

Family composition:

• brood - eggs, larvae, dolls;
• workers represent barren females;
• adults.

Femages that lay eggs can be several or one. Males represent a small group. Factive females form the castes of soldiers, workers, other groups, they make up the largest number.

Ant activity is inherent in:

• division of labor;
• self -organization to solve complex problems;
• relationship.

Interesting.Scientists do not know exactly how thousands of ants manage to organize coordinated work. The nervous system of the ant is very simple, and life in the anthill has a high degree of organization.

Features of the life of ants:

• Some ants are bred by aphids and feed on them, juice - a pad. For the winter, the aphids are covered in an anthill.
• The grain is stored in special storage facilities. Seeds after rains are carried out to dry.
• Amazon representatives hunt insects, building traps.
• Some species grow mushrooms that form the basis of their nutrition.
• The average anthill contains 4-6 million twigs. To maintain climate, ants daily make an exchange of internal and outer twigs. After winter, ants warm the anthill with the warmth of their bodies, heated previously in the sun.
• Wandering ants wander all the time. They are extremely aggressive and eat all living things. They lead a sedentary lifestyle only during the period of laying eggs and the subsequent growing of larvae. As soon as the larvae grow up, immediately on the road.

Video. Ants. The secret power of nature.

What is the main thing in ants and an ant might?

The main for ants is the reproductive uterus. She is also called a queen or queen. The number of queens in an ant family depends on the type, the size of the anthill. If one is monginia, if several are polyginia.

Males are necessary exclusively for the fertilization of females. They are born shortly before the wedding period, and soon after fertilization they die. They have no specific name.

Features of the structure of the body of a working ant, soldier, females and male: Description

• The uterus is large in size. Before mating, females have wings that are bogged down to get additional food when they lay eggs. The queen's chest is more powerful and developed, wider abdomen.
• Males are much smaller than females. Most have wings, but there are non -winged ones.
• Workers are females who cannot have offspring. They have more modest than the uterus. They have no wings. The structure of the chest is simplified, the eyes are smaller, they may be absent.
• Soldiers are more workers of a larger size with a disproportionately large head, powerful mandibules that allow you to effectively defend themselves.

Role in the family of a working ant, soldier, females and male: description

• Koroleva females ensure the reproduction of offspring. With hunger, they lay eggs that are eaten independently or go to the workers to eat.
• The only task of the male is to fertilize the female.
• Workers care about the family. They take care of offspring, queen, build, repair an anthill, clean it, get food - they forage, save stocks, etc.
• The main task of the soldier is to protect against enemies of ants, anthills and territory. They also help the working ants with powerful bins to divide the prey when it cannot be carried away entirely.

How do ants communicate?

The main way to transmit information is tactile, with the help of antennae, which knock on certain areas.

Individual groups have “their gestures”:

• Foragers for transmitting signals use "Language of poses".
• "Hunters" clearly know their roles when hunting, transporting production.
• "Language of smells." So the observer, with a threat, releases a specific smell that warns all ants on the surface. Intelligence ants leave a odorous trace for foragers.

How do ants propagate?

Responsible for propagation are females (future queens) and males. And the rest of the working ants, although they are females, are not able to lay eggs. But there are gamergates - their workers can breed. The queens do not have.

Females and males develop together. Upon reaching the marriage period, males take off, leaving the pieromonian train, according to which females follow them. Females mate mainly with one partner, but there are exceptions. After mating, the uterus searches for a place, fades wings, digs a camera for eggs, puts them off and cares for the first batch on his own. The queen stores the sperm of her male, which fertilizes eggs.

Do ants feed the eggs laid down by the female?

The size of the egg is about 0.5 mm. The queen regularly licks them, sortices and holds in a single comka. When the larvae hatch, they begin to feed them. Food is redesigned food from the goiter of the nine ants, fodder eggs, seeds. Depending on the abundance of nutrition, a worker, soldier, female or male grows.

Stages of development of insect ants: scheme

Four stages of development of the ant:

1. An ant egg is up to 1 mm oval shape of a yellowish, whitish shade.
2. The larva has a worm -shaped look. Immediately after hatching, the larvae are together. Separated as it grows. During this period, ants feed them abundantly.
3. The doll is a larva that weaves a cocoon around him. While in the cocoon, the larva does not eat food.
4. An adult appears from the cocoon with the help of other ants, it cannot get out independently. Initially, the color of the young individual is light, a colorful color characteristic of the species is acquired after a few days. The ant is no longer growing.

The whole process lasts about a month.

Are ants sleeping?

Ants sleep, but their dream is frequent and short -term. Workers ants in the process of their work freeze for about 1.1 minutes. At this moment, the phase of sleep comes. Such points can be up to 250 per day.

The queen falls asleep for several minutes up to 100 times a day. This showed a video camera installed near the uterus.

Where do they winter and what do ants do in winter?

Ants spend winter in the deepest layers of anthill. Before wintering, ants collect the required amount of food, feed the remaining larvae, prepare compartments for wintering, and digging new ones if necessary.

Some ants fall into hibernation, their organs continue to function, but at a slow pace. Those that do not sleep continue to work, but with reduced activity. Ants can withstand frost up to -50 ° C.

Ants: views, photos

There are many types of ants, but the most interesting are

Black garden ants

Live in Russia, Portugal, Great Britain. Nests are built in the ground, rotten wood, under the stones. The size of the working individual is 5 mm, the uterus is up to 11 mm. The basis of the diet is the Pad of the Sea.

Red forest ants

Distributed in Russia. Live in coniferous, deciduous, mixed forests. They build anthills up to 2 meters high. The dimensions of individuals are 7-14 mm.

Faralov ants - brownie

They live in human houses, building an anthill behind skirting boards, in the foundation, in the pieces. Working individuals up to 2 mm, uterus - up to 4 mm.

Nomadic ants

Constantly wandered, stopping only during reproduction. The anthill is built from the bodies of ants. The uterus is characterized by great fertility - about 130 thousand larvae are born every day. As soon as young individuals appear, ants move on the road. This is the most dangerous look - they leave nothing alive behind. The size of the working individual - up to 1.5 cm, uterus - up to 5 cm. Live in Africa, Asia, America.

Buldog antes

They have a powerful jaw, which is repelled for a jump of 0.3 meters. They know how to swim. Live in Australia. Dimensions - up to 3 cm.

Ant-Pules

They live in the tropical forests of Nicaragua, Paraguay. The nests are arranged in the trunks of trees. Their bite is extremely painful, and the pain does not subside for a day.

Interesting facts about ants

• The ants lived in the era of dinosaurs, 110-130 million years ago appeared.
• The largest colony has more than 1 billion of individuals and occupies more than 5954 sq. Km.
• Ants can be captured by fellow tribesmen, force them to work for themselves.
• The maximum speed of the individual is up to 7.62 cm/s. For a person, this speed corresponds to 55 km/h.
• Use someone else's experience.
• Some species are guided by the magnetic field of the Earth, like sharks.
• From their own bodies they make “living” bridges to overcome the barriers.

Insect classification scheme on the example of ants

Video. STRAKHORGANISM, City of Muravyov