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Table of Contents
Ants have been able to survive on earth for more than 100 million years and with over 20,000 different species of ants, they can be found anywhere in the world.
See the fact file below for more information on Ants, or you can download our 25-page Ants worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
ORIGIN OF ANTS
- Ants are eusocial insects of the Formicidae family that belong to the order Hymenoptera, along with wasps and bees. Ants appear in the fossil record in a wide variety during the recent early Cretaceous and early Late Cretaceous periods, implying an earlier origin.
- Ants descended from vespoid wasp ancestors during the Cretaceous period and diversified following the appearance of flowering plants.
- Ants have been on Earth for a much longer period of time than humans, according to their evolutionary history. Ants are thought to have evolved between 140 and 160 million years ago, according to evidence.
- This means that ants lived during the Jurassic period along with the dinosaurs.
- The ant population was thought to be exceptionally small until flowers and other plants began to flourish, supplying them with an abundant food source.
- When ants gained access to food, new species emerged, each playing a unique role in the environment.
- Some ants, for example, migrated to trees, while others established colonies on the forest floor and still others lived in fallen tree leaves.
ANATOMY
- Ants are insects with distinguished body parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen, as well as jointed legs and a pair of antennae.
- The ant’s head contains muscles that power the mandibles, which are used for cutting, fighting, digging, and holding.
- The head of the ant also houses the compound eyes and connects the antennae. Ants have surprisingly poor eyesight, so their antennae are crucial in determining what lies ahead.
- The ants’ jointed legs, which are attached to their thorax, are flexible and strong. Ants have six legs that protrude from their bodies, with claws at the ends of each leg.
- The claws are often used to grasp food and other items that they must transport. The ant can clean its body and touch objects with its front legs.
- The ant’s thorax is located between the abdomen and the head. The thorax is connected to all six of the ant’s legs. Queen ants also have wings that they use to fly around and find a mate.
- The wings are also attached to the thorax. The queen will shed her wings after mating because she no longer requires them.
- Closer inspection may reveal small scars where the ant’s wings were once attached to its body.
- Moreover, they also have a tough exoskeleton made of a material similar to human fingernails.
- The ant’s exoskeleton protects it, especially since it is so small.
- Because of the ant’s small size, it’s not always easy to see the distinct body parts, but take a closer look to see what function each part serves.
KINDS OF ANTS
- Ants are by far the most diverse insect species on the planet. There are many different types, ranging from the small and docile black garden ant to the large and fierce-looking red fire ant. Some are:
- Carpenter ants are a particular concern for homeowners because they can cause structural damage.
- They do not ‘build’ like carpenters, but they will dig up wood and can be harmful over time if not properly managed.
- Nuisance ants frequently create routes that they use to travel their food or water.
- When attempting to treat these ants, it is essential to destroy their trail as well as the nest, which is frequently found outdoors.
- Odorous house ants, a major nuisance ant, have large colonies with many queens and homes.
- Their homes are frequently temporary and can be found in landscaping under planks of wood or debris.
- Pavement ants have many queens as well, but they will nest under rocks or pavement.
- These ants are well-known to homeowners because they mine sand and soil from beneath concrete slabs, patios, sidewalks, driveways, and basements. Because of its nesting behavior of moving the substrate, this ant is sometimes referred to as a mason ant.
ANT LIFE IN THEIR COLONIES
- The queen ant, as the name implies, is the colony’s founder as well as its leader.
- Her main duty is to colonize the colony by laying thousands of eggs.
- As a form of defense against predators, the queen’s chambers are deep within the ant colony.
- Queen ants, on the other hand, can outlive the drones and workers who serve them by up to 30 years.
- They have wings and are significantly larger than the average ant found outside the colony.
- Drones are male ants whose sole purpose in life is to mate with the queen and lay her eggs.
- The social structure of ant colonies is complex and hierarchical. Ants’ jobs are predetermined and can change with age.
- As ants age, their jobs take them further away from the queen, or the center of the colony.
- Younger ants protect the queen and her young within the nest. When a queen is not present, egg-laying workers take her place but only haploid eggs can be laid by these worker ants, resulting in sterile offspring.
- On the other hand, ant hill art is becoming more popular as a collecting hobby.
- It entails spilling molten metal (typically non-toxic zinc or aluminum), plaster, or cement down an ant colony mound that serves as a mold, and then excavating the resulting structure after it hardens. In some cases, this requires extensive digging.
ANTS AND NATURE
- Ants have many relationships in nature, including the benefits they provide, such as storing large amounts of food in and near their nest sites, which enhances nutrients in the soil.
- They also excrete refuse and leave food scraps, all of which alter the chemistry of the soil.
- Ant-affected soil is typically closer to neutral pH and higher in nitrogen and phosphorus.
- Ants provide an enormous contribution to plants by relocating their seedlings to safer, more nutrient-rich habitats.
- Ants typically transport seeds to their nests, where some germinate in the fertile soil.
- Ant-carried seeds are also better protected from seed-eating animals and are less likely to succumb to drought.
- Ants not only improve soils, but they also kill a large number of insects, making them more effective than some insecticides.
- Garden ants, unlike caterpillars, do not consume or actively damage plants.
- Despite the benefits they provide to the environment, they also have negative effects on both the environment and humans.
- Wood-eating ants, for example, are a nuisance in homes and buildings, but they are an important resource in nature, returning raw or even dead wood to the soil so that new trees can grow.
Ants Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Ants across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Ants, which are eusocial insects of the Formicidae family that belong to the order Hymenoptera, along with wasps and bees.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.
- Ants Facts
- The Ant
- Life Cycle of an Ant
- One for All
- Communication
- The Super Ants
- The Colony
- The Ant and the Grasshopper
- Ant-spired Poem
- Quotable Bookm-ants
- Find the Way Home!
Frequently Asked Questions
What abilities do ants have?
Ants are quite strong. They have the capacity to carry ten to fifty times their own weight! The quantity that an ant can lift is determined by its species.
Do ants hear?
Like other insects, ants use their sense of hearing, touch, and smell to navigate the world. Although they don’t have traditional ears, ants are able to hear vibrations in the air.
Can ants see in the dark?
The insects’ huge eyes contain wide photoreceptors, allowing them to see well at night. The darkness may be navigated by ants in a nest via yards, walls, and kitchen cabinets.
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Link will appear as Ants Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 8, 2022
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.