Kingdom : Animalia Class : Insecta Family : Formicidae Scientific Name : Formicidae Size(L) : 2mm - 25mm (0.08in - 1in) Average Life Span : 3 months Number of Species : 12,000 Colour : Brown, Black, Red Skin Type : Shell Special Features : Social insects and pincers near the mouth
- An ant is a small invertebrate insect found world over except in the polar regions.
- Around 12,000 species of ants have been recognized so far.
- They are believed to have originated from wasp like creatures, a 100 million years ago.
- They vary in color and size depending on the species.
- They are very sociable and have a complex social structure where every individual has a purpose.
- They live in colonies.
- Each colony has a queen ant- The only female ant to reproduce in that colony.
- The queen ant lays 800-1500 eggs per day, which are fertilized by male ants in the nest.
- The eggs that are not fertilized, hatch to produce sterile female ants.
- The queen ant lives a longer life than the worker ants (average lifespan of 2 months).
- Apart from the queen ant, there are worker ants who gather food, nurse and care for the ant larvae.
- Ants are omnivores feeding on leaves, fungi, honey, nectar, small insects and dead animals.
- They are also preyed upon by tiny insects, reptiles, mammals and fish.
- Interestingly, they can lift up to 50 times their own body weight.
- They can also pull, more than 30 times their body weight.