Ants
Topics:
 Ants
are one of the most commonly found insects
in buildings. They are also one of the most
successful because they have a comparatively
long life compared to other insects.
Ants are social insects and build nests in
various places including lawns; under stones
and wood; in the ground, houses and other
building structures; and in the wood of dead
logs, fence posts, hollow trees, and stumps.
Unlike other social insects such as
termites, wasps, and bees, they are not
dependant on one location for their nest. If
for some reason conditions are no longer
favorable or their nest is disrupted, they
can move the eggs, pupae, and larvae to a
different location and re-establish the
nest.
When ants take up residence in buildings,
they can become a nuisance. They can also be
annoying and destructive as an outdoor pest
when they nest in lawns and gardens.
All ants have pretty much the
same basic
physical appearance. Ants usually have
distinctly elbowed antennae, with the first
segment known as the scape. This segment is
followed by a series of segments referred to
collectively as the funicle. Some species
have such large ending segments that they
take on the shape of a club, and are
therefore referred to as the "antennal
club." The abdomen is attached to the thorax
via 1 or 2 slender segments commonly known
and referred to as the "node." The node is
an important tool in identifying different
ants species due to the distinct shape and
number of nodes each individual species
possesses. Interestingly, ants with only one
node are higher on the evolutionary scale
than ants with more than one.
Many species of ants are winged. If they are
winged, they have two sets, the front and
hind. The front pair is always longer than
the hind. When not in use, wings will extend
only slightly pass the abdomen.
Of ant mouthparts, mandibles are the most
prominent and important. They are equipped
with great strength to carry out a number of
duties including carrying and breaking up
food; excavating nests in wood or the
ground; and defense and offense. Since
mandibles carry out so many duties, they are
vital to the existence of ants.
The most important parts of ants, however,
are the antennae, because they harbor
sensory cells. Taste and touch are
communicated through the antennae, so they
are vital to the detection and testing of
food. Like other insects, ants give off
pheromones to mark trails, attract members
of the opposite sex, and send out alarms.
Pheromones are comprised of many different
chemicals that can be detected by the
antennae. When one ant encounters another
ant, antennal stroking and touching occurs
for the purpose of recognition. The survival
of ants is dependent on antennal functions.
Although not common among
structure-infesting ants, several species
have the ability to sting. Venom is released
during the sting and may create rapid,
intense pain and possible allergic
reactions. If an ant stings, it is usually
out of defense.
Ants go through complete metamorphosis.
Complete metamorphosis includes four stages:
egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The larvae,
which hatch from microscopic eggs, are
off-white and pear or gourd-shaped as well
as soft and legless. The larvae's heads are
well developed. For several days to a few
weeks, the adult workers feed and groom the
larvae, until several molts are completed
and the larvae become pupae. In the pupal
stage, the young ants resemble adult ants,
except for the fact that they do not feed or
move.
They also are white and soft, compared
with the hard-bodied exterior of their
mature counterparts. Some pupae may be in
cocoons, while others are not, depending on
the species. If an ant nest is disturbed,
the workers may be observed scurrying about
and carrying the cocooned pupae, larvae, and
eggs to a place removed from danger. For
ease of transportation, eggs and larvae are
often stuck together and moved in clumps.
After emerging from the pupal stage, it
takes ants several days to reach full
maturity. Full maturity means the attainment
of full color and body hardness. When all is
said and done, the process of maturing from
egg to adult takes 6-8 weeks, depending on
environmental conditions such as
temperature, availability of food, and
frequency of disturbances.
Colonies of ants contain well-developed
caste systems that divide labor between the
adults. The presence of a caste system
requires the presence of a colony. A single
mated queen usually develops a colony. After
shedding her wings, the queen will dig a
small gallery or seek a small cavity under a
stone, in a piece of bark, or in a structure
to find a sufficient place to start her
nest. After sealing the cell she has chosen,
the queen will remain dormant while the eggs
develop in her body. When mature, the eggs
are laid and hatch in the sealed cell.
The queen nurses and feeds the young until
they reach the pupal stage. After reaching
maturity, this first group of workers is
always smaller than average due to a lack of
a sufficient food supply. Despite their
small size, they begin the real work of
colony production by first digging
themselves out of the nesting gallery, and
then starting their lifelong duty of
foraging for food for the colony and queen.
With more food available, the queen is able
to lay more eggs and the workers take on the
additional duty of caring for the new eggs,
larvae, and pupae. This obligation remains
with the workers, who are all sterile
females.
Due to environmental extremes, competition
within species, and the threat of predation,
the number of successful colonies is very
low. These settlements may last for many
seasons. Some species' colonies contain more
than one queen, while other species have
only one queen. If the queen happens to die
and the colony is healthy, it is likely that
another worker or reproductive female will
begin to produce eggs and take over the role
of the queen.
There are three distinct classes that make
up the caste system in an ant clony:
workers, reproductive females (queens), and
reproductive males.
Workers: Workers are sterile females
that may be all one size or may vary in
size. If they are all the same size, they
are known as monomorphic. If they vary in
size, they are known as polymorphic. Workers
carry out all the work of the colony, as
their name implies. This includes, but is
not limited to, foraging for food, tending
the young, and protecting the nest. In
colonies with polymorphic workers, the
division of labor may be assigned according
to the sizes of the workers. In some
species, different workers have specially
adapted features to carry out specific
tasks. In other species, younger workers may
carry out duties that are closer to the nest
while older workers go out foraging for
food.
Reproductive females or queens:
Queens are almost always the largest members
in a colony. An unmated queen retains her
wings until she is mated. After the first
group of eggs has developed, the queen has
the luxury of being fed, cleaned, and
generally taken care of by the workers. Her
only function is to produce and lay eggs.
Reproductive males: The only function
of the males is to inseminate the queens.
After they do this, they die within a few
days. If the species to which a male belongs
has winged queens, the male will also have
wings. Mating may occur either in the air,
on the ground, or in the nest. Adult males
do not stay in the nest for long at all.
Once they leave, they are fortunate to
survive for any length of time, since they
face great risk from predators and natural
elements.
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