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Ants fast facts
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They have a narrow waist formed of 1 or 2 segments called the pedicel.
Antennae are strongly elbowed.
All species live socially.
"Ants eggs" sold as fish food are actually ant pupae (usually of the wood ant Formica rufa)in their cocoons.
Ants were the first farmers. Fossil evidence shows they were farming fungus 80 million years ago, and feeding the fungus on insect faeces and dead insects.
Ants create and fertilise the soil by recycling nutrients.
Adults range in length from 1 mm - 25 mm.
There are around 50 species in the U. K.
A queen ant can live for as long as 15 years.
Adult males and queens have wings, but after the numtial flight the quuen removes her wings, and the males die.
In some species the queens and workers have stings, and in other species they can squirt formic acid from their rear end. |
On the left is the Pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharonis. It was introduced to the UK over 100 years ago from the tropics. It is a small ant, the workers are 2.0 mm long, queens 3.6 mm long, and males 3.0 mm long. It is light yellow in colour. There are usually many queens in one nest, and many of the nests are linked to each other and exist quite happily together. Sexuals are produced throughout the year. Around 300 eggs are laid by the queen in batches of up to 12 at first, but later as few as 4. The eggs hatch in around a week. The larvae take around 18 days to reach full growth. Pupation takes around 9 days, and adult life span is usually 5 - 6 weeks. Mating takes place within buildings, in crevices and cracks. In the UK it is found only in heated buildings. The nests are usually in difficult to locate places and as they are linked to other nests eradication is difficult.
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