Nine Cute Species of Ants - 11 Pics

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 out of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified.They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.

Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. These larger colonies consist mostly of sterile wingless females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". The colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.

Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in most ecosystems, and may form 15–25% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.

Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems.These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study.

Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication and rituals. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. However, their ability to exploit resources brings ants into conflict with humans, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant, are regarded as invasive species, establishing themselves in areas where they are accidentally introduced.(wikipedia)

1: Ants in dry climates should store food to survive longer than scarcity. In the deserts of North America, Myrmecocystus honeypot ants use their bodies as a vessel of the living, their bodies bloated Karen liquid reserves, and brought to the nest couples.

2: Harpegnathos saltator, Jumping Ants from India, is one of the first ant has a genome sequencing.

3: An ant Podomyrma Lycaenid caterpillars tend to approach in South Australia. These caterpillars release substances that are attractive to ants, and ants in turn provide protection from parasites. The ants are very abundant, that many other species have come to rely on them in various ways.

4: Among the strange family mystery Malagasy ants are ants (Mystrium species), which is a rain forest-dwelling predators leaf waste

5: Cecropia ants (Azteca alfaroi) guard their trees seriously against intruders. Working together, they laid siege to and paralyze their opponents by pinning the opponent until limp

6: On the island of Panama, the crazy  worker ants (Paratrechina longicornis) drinking from nectaries on the lower leaves. Many plants with nectaries attract ants, and in return the ants to help remove pest plants.

7: Ants Species Dinoponera South America, has more than one inch long, is one of the biggest ant in the world

8: Two Species Of harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex rugosus) nests from adjacent involved in ritual warfare, encouraging in showing the style but not really hurt each other. It is estimated that the colony using these mock battles to gather information about their neighbors. Knowledge of the competitive strength of an ant colony helps set boundaries without loss of life.

9: Insect mandibles are a pair of appendages near the insect’s mouth, and the most anterior of the three pairs of oral appendages (the labrum is more anterior, but is a single fused structure). Their function is typically to grasp, crush, or cut the insect’s food, or to defend against predators or rivals. Insect mandibles, which appear to be evolutionarily derived from legs, move in the horizontal plane unlike those of vertebrates, which appear to be derived from gill arches and move vertically.