About The Ant: Incredible Intelligence In Such A Tiny Creature Yellow Magpie

About The Ant: Incredible Intelligence In Such A Tiny Creature

Ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) are one of the most complicated of all social animals. They vary in size from 1mm (.04 inch) up to 25mm (1 inch) and weigh anything from 0.004 grams up to 100 grams (0.25 lbs) for a queen. The average ant lives up to 90 days but queens can live for several years. Ant habitats are found in nearly every part of the world bar the polar regions.

Ant

One of the extraordinary aspects of ants is their abundance. Experts estimate that there are roughly one quadrillion ants on the planet or 100,000,000,000,000,000. There are in excess of 12,000 ant species that have been named by scientists. However, this does not take into consideration the potential thousands of unnamed species that await classification.

Ultimate Communists

Ant species are quite varied in size and design. They are the ultimate communists, all the individuals serve the needs of the colony. It is this social order that is key to their thriving success. Once an ant is allocated a responsibility, there is no room for individuality and that role is stringently adhered to. Ants operate on ruthless, collective, efficiency. The colony is incredibly organised and works in a hierarchy in that ants are born at the very bottom and work their way upwards somewhat like a pyramid. The colony themselves or ‘nests’ are sometimes up to ten feet deep and each room or chamber is devoted to separate functions.

Ants are completely chemically dependent. Every process within an ant colony is controlled by chemical reactions. From breeding to defending the colony from attack -- every stage of an ant’s life revolves chemicals called pheromones.

Ants will feed off virtually anything. They have two stomachs, one which stores their own food and another called a crop which stores food for the colony. There robust bodies and amazing strength ensures that they can haul their prey long distances back to the nest.

Defensive Capabilities

Ants can be incredibly defensive, as no doubt some people will attest to. If one ant senses danger, or is threatened, it will release chemicals notifying other ants of the threat. Some ants have stinging cells, others even squirt acid to defend themselves against attack. However, most use their powerful mandibles or jaws to fend off enemies. While some ants go to defend the colony, others shepard larvae deep underground to more secure locations within the nest. One species of ant, Bruneian Camponotus, even explode their heads to protect the colony.

Farming Ants

Some ants are actually farmers. There are in excess of 190 species of ant which grow fungi for food. They maintain the fungi by feeding it dead leaves, and ant dung which acts as fertiliser. Some species even go as far as smoking or fumigating it with bacteria to ward off parasites. Even more curiously, other species of ants keep aphids as a source of food rather like maintaining livestock. In a symbiotic relationship, they supply the aphids with protection from predators in return for food in the form of honeydew.

Only the queen is potent and capable of reproducing. When mating is about to commence the queen will notify males that she is ready to mate by releasing pheromones. These pheromones drive the males crazy and the queen is quickly surrounded by an over-eager group of males.

Ants are highly organised and remarkable creatures. The secret to their growth and survival cannot be ascertained by simply isolating and examining one individual ant. The entire microcosm of the colony must be taken into account. From this perspective a true appreciation of an extremely efficient and successful animal starts to emerge.