The ant has a pair of eyes which are made
up of many smaller eyes crowded together.
They are called compound eyes.

The antennae of most ants contain organs
which they use not only for touch, but also
for their sense of smell.

The head of the ant is armed with a pair of
large, strong jaws. The jaws are hinged so
that they open and shut sideways like a
pair of scissors.
Adult ants cannot chew and swallow solid
foods. Instead they swallow the juice which
they squeeze from bits of food. They throw
away the dry part that is left over.
Like all insects, ants have six legs
fastened to their thorax. Each leg has
three joints. The last joint contains
combs which the ant uses to clean itself.
The legs of the ant are so strong and quick
that it can move very rapidly. If a man
could run as fast for his size as an ant
can, he could outrun the fastest horse!
The abdomen of the ant contains two
stomachs. One stomach holds the food for
itself and second stomach is for food to be
shared with other ants.
When a Fire Ant (Solenopsis Geminata)
stings or bites, it produces a burning
sensation like fire, inspiring its name as
a Fire Ant.
Like all insects, ants have a hard outer
covering called the exoskeleton. Because
this covering cannot stretch, ants can grow
only by molting this skin several times.
Ants have four distinct growing stages, the
egg, larva, pupa and the adult. This
development cycle is called 'Complete
Metamorphosis.'
Ants are actually classified as a special
group of wasps. (Hymenoptera Formicidae)
There are over 14000 known species of ants.

Each ant colony has at least one or more
egg laying females called queens. Their
single purpose is to lay eggs which the
worker ants raise into adults.
Worker ants are sterile, wingless females
which forage for food, rear the young, and
defend the nest from intruders.

Ants are tidy insects. Some worker ants
are given the job to clean debris from the
nest and deposit it outside in its own
special garbage dump!
Each colony of ants has its own
characteristic smell. In this way,
intruders can be recognized immediately!

Many ants such as the common Red species
are all armed with a sting and use this in
defense of the nest.

The common Black Ants and Wood Ants have no
sting, but they can squirt an irritating
spray of formic acid which protects the
nest from other ant intruders.
The Slave-Maker Ant (Polyergus Rufescens)
raids the nests of other ants and steals
their pupae. When these new ants hatch,
they work as slaves within the colony.
The worker ants tend to keep the eggs and
larvae in clumps of individuals arranged
according to ages.

At night the worker ants move the eggs and
larvae deep into the nest to protect them
from the cold.

During the daytime, the worker ants move
the eggs and larvae of the colony to the
top of the nest so that they can be warmer.

Weaver Ants (Oecophylla Species) make their
nests by weaving living leaves together
with jets of silk squirted out by the
larvae.
If a worker ant has found a good source
for food, it leaves a scent trail for the
other ants in the colony to follow.

Carpenter Ants (Campanotus Species) are
so called because they excavate their
nests in the trunks of trees and logs.

In South Africa, Army Ants (Ecitron
Burchelli) are always on the move. They
march in columns carrying their eggs and
larvae with them.
The raiding party of the Army Ant has
been known to stretch as long as 330 feet
and 25 feet wide.

The underground nests of ants can be
several feet deep, with tunnels and
chambers on many levels.

When the Slow Ant (Leptothorax Species)
finds a good source of food, he does not
leave a scent trail, instead they form
lines following right behind each other.
Wood Ants (Formica Species) make their
protective mounds above their nests out
of pine needles.

Ants have wings only when they are mating.
After mating the male ant soon dies. The
queen ant sheds her wings which provides
nutrients for her eggs.
The Army Ant (Ecitron Burchelli) of South
America, can have as many as 700,000
members in its colony.

The Army Ant (Ecitron Burchelli) sends out
swarm raids to hunt insects and even small
animals.

The Leaf Cutter Ant (Atta Species) cuts out
pieces of leaves which they take back to
their nests. They chew them into a pulp and
a special fungus grows on it which they eat.
Harvester Ants (Messor Species) forage for
seeds which they take back and store in
their nests. In this way the seeds get
dispersed and some survive to grow.
Many ant species like the common Yellow
Ant (Lasius Flavus) make protective mounds
of earth above their underground nests.