"gland which secretes honeydew when the ants massage them. Some caterpillars produce vibrations and sounds that are perceived by the ants. A similar adaptation can be seen in Grizzled skipper butterflies that emit vibrations by expanding their wings in order to communicate with ants, which are natural predators of these butterflies. Other caterpillars have evolved from ant-loving to ant-eating: these myrmecophagous caterpillars secrete a pheromone that makes the ants act as if the caterpillar is one of their own larvae. The caterpillar is then taken into the ant nest where it feeds on the ant larvae. A number of specialized"
"""formicary"", which derives from the Medieval Latin word ""formīcārium"". The word also derives from ""formica"". ""Ant nests"" are the physical spaces in which the ants live. These can be underground, in trees, under rocks, or even inside a single acorn. The name ""anthill"" applies to underground nests where the workers pile sand or soil outside the entrance, forming a large mound. Colony size (the number of individuals that make up the colony) is very important to ants: it can affect how they forage, how they defend their nests, how they mate, and even their physical appearances. Body size is often"
"""sitting"" which probably refers to the gaster sitting directly on top of the petiole in the abdomen of the ant species. The common names ""odorous house ant"" and ""coconut ant"" come from the odor the ants produce when crushed, which is very similar to the pungent odor of a coconut, blue cheese, or turpentine. These ants are not hard to control, and most ant killers will solve problems, especially if controlled as soon as the problem is noticed. At this point, they could be put under control in just a few days. However, the longer someone waits, the larger the"
"in search of other nests. The males die shortly thereafter, along with most of the females. A small percentage of the females survive to initiate new nests. The term ""ant colony"" refers to the collections of workers, reproductive individuals, and brood that live together, cooperate, and treat one another non-aggressively. Often this comprises the genetically related progeny from a single queen, although this is not universal across ants. The name ""ant farm"" is commonly given to ant nests that are kept in formicarium; these formicaria are formed so scientists can study by rearing or temporarily maintaining them. Another name is"
"nest with a noticeable shaft inside, and a complex structure surrounded by a mound. Some species construct dome-shaped mounds containing a single entrance, but some nests have numerous holes that are constantly used and can extend several metres underground. Sometimes, these mounds can be 0.5 m (20 in) high. Workers decorate these nests with a variety of items, including charcoal, leaves, plant fragments, pebbles, and twigs. Some ants use the warmth by decorating their nests with dry materials that heat quickly, providing the nest with solar energy traps. The genus ""Myrmecia"" is among the most primitive of all known living"
"be the most widespread species of ant in the world, although the pharaoh ant (""Monomorium pharaonis"") is another challenger for this position. Colonies of longhorn crazy ants make their nests in a wide range of either dry or damp sites. These include inside hollow trees, under loose bark, in rotten wood, under logs or stones, among rubbish and under undisturbed debris inside buildings. They thrive in convenience stores, gas stations, apartment blocks, schools and cafés. The workers emerge to forage and the location of the nest can be identified by watching ants carrying food back to the colony. The ants"
"Harvester ant Harvester ant, also known as harvesting ant, is a common name for any of the species or genera of ants that collect seeds (called seed predation), or mushrooms as in the case of ""Euprenolepis procera"", which are stored in the nest in communal chambers called granaries. They are also referred to as Agricultural ants. Seed harvesting by some desert ants is an adaptation to the lack of typical ant resources such as prey or honeydew from hemipterans. Harvester ants increase seed dispersal and protection, and provide nutrients that increase seedling survival of the desert plants. In addition, ants"
"estimated population in excess of 56 million ants. ""F. obscuripes"" create distinct dome-shaped mounds composed of varying materials found in the nest's surrounding environment. This composition is primarily vegetation and is commonly called ""thatch"". The mounds are typically constructed in areas devoid of cover to expose the nest to sunlight. The size of these mounds is highly variable and is mostly determined by the age and health of the colony. The height ranges from 1 inch (1.5 cm) to 18 inches (45.7 cm)—although nests of larger heights are not uncommon—and can extend down to 4 feet (1.2 meters) in the"
"to be resistant to most insecticides. ""Solenopsis molesta"" are sometimes mistaken for the pharaoh ant, because there are similarities between the two. They are both around the same size, but there are differences in their markings. Solenopsis molesta Solenopsis molesta, also known as thief ants , get their names from their habit of nesting close to other ant nests, from which they steal food. They are also called grease ants because they are attracted to grease. Nuptial flight in this species occur from late July through early fall. ""S. molesta"" range anywhere from 1/32 of an inch (0.5 mm) to"
"This is actually helpful in a number of scenarios. It can increase efficiency when a food source is located and needs to be brought back to the nest. It can also be helpful in recruiting assistance during an attack on one of the acrobat ants' plant shelters. More than 430 species are recognised in the genus ""Crematogaster"": Crematogaster Crematogaster is an ecologically diverse genus of ants found worldwide, which are characterised by a distinctive heart-shaped gaster (abdomen), which gives them one of their common names, the Saint Valentine ant. Members of this genus are also known as cocktail ants because"
"Pissant A pissant, also seen as piss ant or piss-ant, refers to a specific type of ant. The word is also used as a pejorative noun or adjective, indicating insignificance. It has its origin in the word ""pismire"", a 14th-century term for ant. The original ""pissant"" is any of a certain group of large ant species, commonly called ""wood ants,"" that make mounded nests in forests throughout most of Europe. The name ""pissant"" arises from the urine-like odour produced by their nesting material—needles and straw from pine trees—and the formic acid that constitutes their venom. ""Formica rufa"" is one such"
"well known for their ability to store liquids in the abdomens of specialized workers, the so-called repletes or ""honey pots"", hence their common name ""red honey ant"" (the genus name ""Melophorus"" means ""honey carrier""). Nest relocation is possibly aided by trail laying behavior, which is highly unusual for solitary foraging desert ants. The founding stage of an ant colony is usually characterized by the same sequence of events. Reproduction occurs in synchronized mating flights, which are probably triggered by rain. The virgin queen leaves the nest in a mating flight and is inseminated by one or several males, and there"
"or sell these ants or to damage their nests. Most formicaria are designed to house queen ants, professional ant shops/suppliers usually sell their colonies with queens. Formicarium A formicarium or ant farm is a vivarium which is designed primarily for the study of ant colonies and how ants behave. Those who study ant behavior are known as myrmecologists. The formicarium was invented by Charles Janet, a French entomologist and polymath, who had the idea of reducing the three dimensions of an ant nest to the virtual two dimensions between two panes of glass. His design was exhibited in the Exposition"
"fruits and twig fragments. Nests are built in the sun and hardly in the shade to keep them warm. The ant is a polydomous species, meaning that they live in more than one nest. Some colonies are known to create ""super-nests"": workers construct many nests connected through established paths, extending up to in length. In one extreme case, a single colony was found to occupy over of land with 85 individual nests and 1,500 entrance holes. While they show no aggression toward to their nest mates, meat ants are aggressive to occupants of different nests within the same colony. Polydomy"
"Crematogaster Crematogaster is an ecologically diverse genus of ants found worldwide, which are characterised by a distinctive heart-shaped gaster (abdomen), which gives them one of their common names, the Saint Valentine ant. Members of this genus are also known as cocktail ants because of their habit of raising their abdomens when alarmed. Most species are arboreal. These ants are sometimes known as acrobat ants. Acrobat ants acquire food largely through predation of other insects, like wasps. They use venom to stun their prey and a complex trail-laying process to lead comrades to food sources. Like many social insects, they reproduce"
"species, known collectively as ""moisture ants"" in the United States, make their nests in and around moist rotting wood as well as under rocks. They can infest buildings, particularly foundation forms in contact with soil, becoming a minor nuisance. They are not considered a structural threat because they only make their galleries in wood that is already decayed. Some species build ""cartonlike"" nests in moist locations made of decayed wood fragments cemented together with honeydew and the ant's mandibular gland secretions. Workers are monomorphic, 2 to 3 mm long, yellow to dark brown. They are secretive, and forage mostly at"
"of food, such as the Texas horned lizard. Red harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus is a species of harvester ant from the genus ""Pogonomyrmex"". Its common names include red ant and red harvester ant. These large (5– to 7-mm) ants prefer arid chaparral habitats and are native to the Southwestern United States. Nests are made underground (up to 2.5 m deep) in exposed areas. Their diets consist primarily of seeds, and they consequently participate in myrmecochory, an ant-plant interaction through which the ants gain nutrients and the plants benefit through seed dispersal. Red harvester ants are often mistaken for fire ants,"
"dawn ant, or living fossil ant because of its plesiomorphic body structure. The generic name ""Nothomyrmecia"" means ""false bulldog ant"". Its specific epithet, ""macrops"" (""big eyes""), is derived from the Greek words ', meaning ""long"", or ""large"", and ', meaning ""eyes"". Studies show that all hymenopteran insects that have a diploid (2n) chromosome count above 52 are themselves all ants; ""Nothomyrmecia"" and another Ponerinae ant, ""Platythyrea tricuspidata"", share the highest number of chromosomes within all the Hymenoptera, having a diploid chromosome number of 92–94. Genetic evidence suggests that the age of the most recent common ancestor for ""Nothomyrmecia"" and ""Myrmecia"""
"Bivouac (ants) A bivouac is a structure formed by migratory driver ant and army ant colonies, such as the species ""Eciton burchellii"". A nest is constructed out of the living ant workers' own bodies to protect the queen and larvae, and is later deconstructed as the ants move on. Army ants can forage and feed on insects over large areas of more than 1,800 square yards in a single day, so they must constantly move to new areas. During what is called the migratory phase, the ants set up bivouacs at new sites each night. As many as 150,000 to"
"when they most commonly appear. Tapinoma sessile Tapinoma sessile is a species of small ant that goes by the common names odorous house ant, sugar ant, stink ant, and coconut ant. Their colonies are polydomous (consist of multiple nests) and polygynous (contain multiple reproducing queens). Like many social insects, ""T. sessile"" employs complex foraging strategies, allocates food depending on environmental conditions, and engages in competition with other insect species. These ants can be found in a huge diversity of habitats, including within houses. They forage mainly for honeydew, which is produced by aphids and scale insects that are guarded and"
"from the sun). When the ant finds a dead insect it then looks at the sun and because of its periodic references to the sun's angle it knows exactly what the shortest route back to the nest is. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have also verified that desert microhabitats have unique odour signatures that can guide the ants back to the nest. This skill, which has also been observed in the behavior of foraging honey bees, is elemental to the survival of this species of ant under the harsh conditions in which it lives. This behavior"
"on subterranean clover pasture, which meat ants do not nest around. Their populations would later flourish and nests became numerous around houses after shrubs and trees were planted. Meat ants are well known for their large, oval-shaped nest-mounds (normally in diameter) that are encountered in areas of occurrence, and obvious to identify. These nests are often associated with many entrance holes; most nests have 20 to 35 holes. On the surface on the nest, workers clear the area of vegetation and cover the mound with gravel, but may use other materials that are available, including sand, pebbles, dead vegetation, eucalyptus"
"m). ""Dinoponera australis"" and ""Dinoponera gigantea"" usually nest at the base of trees. Observations of ""Dinoponera quadriceps"" nests show that in more arid Caatinga and Cerrado habitats, nests are predominantly constructed under trees, whereas in Atlantic forest 60% of nests were 3 m away from any tree. Dinoponera Dinoponera is a strictly South American genus of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae, commonly called tocandiras or giant Amazonian ants. These ants are generally less well known than ""Paraponera clavata"", the bullet ant, yet ""Dinoponera"" females may surpass in total body length, making them among the largest ants in the world. ""Dinoponera"""
"ants and other small insects. The cup-shaped nest is built in a tree cavity. The male and female cooperate in building the nest from leaves, and both bring food to chicks after they hatch. Females possess a brood patch—a spot on their stomach lacking feathers—that helps them transfer body heat to their eggs. It was formerly classified as data deficient by the IUCN, as available data was insufficient for judging its conservation status. Studies found that it was relatively widespread and locally common, and in 2015 its IUCN rating was changed to least concern. The emerald starling is caught for"
"mimic the CHC of the adult male ant. The ant will then adopt the third instar larva of ""N. fusca"" into its nest, feed it mouth-to-mouth, and raise it on its own. This behavior is an example of brood parasitism and obligate parasitism. Camponotus japonicus Camponotus japonicus, more often known under the common name Japanese carpenter ant, is a species of ant native to East Asia. It is black, and one of the largest ants. A nest has about ten to thousands of individuals, and it can be a pest when it enters households or protects aphids. There are several"
"ant (""Camponotus pennsylvanicus""). The genus includes over 1,000 species.They also farm aphids. In the farming, the ants protects the aphids while they excrete a sugary fluid called honeydew, which the ants get by stroking the aphids with their antennae. Carpenter ant species reside both outdoors and indoors in moist, decaying, or hollow wood, most commonly in forest environments. They cut ""galleries"" into the wood grain to provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. Certain parts of a house, such as around and under windows, roof eaves, decks and porches, are more likely to be infested by"
"Meat ant The meat ant (""Iridomyrmex purpureus""), also known as the gravel ant or southern meat ant, is a species of ant endemic to Australia. A member of the genus ""Iridomyrmex"" in the subfamily Dolichoderinae, it was described by British entomologist Frederick Smith in 1858. The meat ant is associated with many common names due to its appearance, nest-building behaviour and abundance, of which its specific name, ""purpureus"", refers to its coloured appearance. It is among the best-known species of ant found throughout Australia; it occurs in almost all states and territories except for Tasmania. Its enormous distribution, aggression and"
"months or even years. Paraponera clavata Paraponera clavata is a species of ant, commonly known as the bullet ant, named for its extremely potent sting. It inhabits humid lowland rainforests from Nicaragua and the extreme east of Honduras and south to Paraguay. The specific epithet of the ant, ', means ""club-shaped"". The generic name, ""Paraponera"", translates to ""near-""Ponera"""". Due to its notoriety, the ant has several Native American, Spanish, and Portuguese local names in different geographical areas. Perhaps the best known name is the Venezuelan ' (the ""24 ant"" or ""24-hour ant""), referring to the full day of pain that"
"sort of ball, which may look unstructured to a layman's eyes, but is actually a well-organized structure. The older female workers are located on the exterior; in the interior are the younger female workers. At the smallest disturbance, soldiers gather on the top surface of the bivouac, ready to defend the nest with powerful pincers and (in the case of the Aenictinae and Ecitoninae) stingers. The interior of the nest is filled with numerous passages and contains many chambers with food, the queen, the larvae, and the eggs. Many species of army ant are widely considered to be keystone species,"
"flooding. Within these chambers, the ants form the true structures of their colonies: living chambers of ants linked together suspended within the cavity called bivoacs. The workers link together in an orderly fashion via legs and mandibles to form a living sac to protect the eggs, larvae, and queen. When the colony decides that several chambers better suits the environment, the bivoac is broken up into however many clusters are required to fit the new chambers. The colony occupies the nest for a few weeks ranging to a few months before the local supply of food inevitably wanes. When this"
"4 cm, which resulted in the common name funnel ants. These nests can be a serious problem for golfers or on pastures and unsealed airstrips, because the fragile surface easily collapses under pressure. Where it occurs, ""Aphaenogaster"" bioturbation is an important soil and landscape process. ""Aphaenogaster"" probably gets most of its food from tended aphids on the roots of plants, which explains that they are rarely seen on the surface. The funnel-shaped openings could play a role in trapping arthropods, which are also eaten. Aphaenogaster Aphaenogaster is a genus of myrmicine ants. About 200 species have been described, including 18"
"Ant Ants are eusocial 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 Cretaceous period, about 140 million years ago, and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy"
"tribe Camponotini, and subfamily Formicinae of the ant family Formicidae. It was first collected by the botanist Jan Pieter Schuitemaker and described by the myrmecologist August Stärcke in 1933 as ""Camponotus schmitzi"". The ant makes its nest in the hollow tendrils of the pitcher plant ""Nepenthes bicalcarata"". This unique animal-plant interaction was noted by Frederick William Burbidge as early as 1880. In 1904, Odoardo Beccari suggested that the ants feed on insects found on and around the plant, but may fall prey to it themselves. In 1990, B. Hölldobler and E. O. Wilson proposed that ""N. bicalcarata"" and ""C. schmitzi"""