Why are ants special? What makes them different from other insects? They have strange behavior, such as necropsy, and collect a wide variety of food. Some ants even create mushrooms in their nests, which makes them the best farmers! Wood ants also protect nectar-sucking insects and “milk” them. They can lift more than their own body weight, and their social bellies can be up to 50 million times larger than humans.
Many different species interact with ants. One example is leafcutter ants, which collect leaves to build an underground compost pile. In these piles, they grow special mushrooms and feed their young. The fungus feeds the ants and their young, while the ants themselves benefit from fresh leaves. In addition, ants also carry fungi when they build new colonies.
In addition to their food, ants help plants by transporting seeds. In fact, several species of ants depend on these insects to disperse seeds elsewhere, which is why they have their own name: myrmechochory. Many people consider ants to be pests, while others consider ants to be a source of money. Ants can be a source of information about social behavior and traffic patterns. There are more than 100 species of ants in the world!
Because ants are so small, they can use their muscles to carry objects much larger than animals their size. Their muscles are much larger than those of humans, so they can carry much greater loads than their bodies allow. In fact, ants have more strength and muscle than humans, so they can lift 10 times their own weight! Apart from eating food, they can also nurture aphids to produce honeydew, which we eat.
While ants are social insects, they also work well as a team. Their workers change jobs frequently, while others spend their time doing nothing. All ant species have the same basic job: feeding the colony, caring for the queen, and guarding their resources. They also have to keep the nest clean. This is important for the health of them and their queen. It is this extraordinary process that makes ants so unique!
Besides being social, ants have two stomachs. The first for yourself and the second for sharing food. This arrangement is called trophalaxis. Trophallaxis allows the ant colony to work effectively. Workers feed the others who stay behind to care for the queen and the nest. They use special organs in their feet to respond to sound. You will find lots of interesting facts about ants in the wild!
The queen ant, known as the queen ant, spends most of her life in the nest, although she may come out during the breeding season. Queen ants have most of the same body parts as workers, but they are missing wings. They also have a muscular mesosoma, which allows them to fly. Male ants, on the other hand, die after the breeding season and lack wings. Male ants have smaller heads and antennae, and they have a more rounded body.
