Contents
Have you ever felt so disturbed by the presence from this animal? These tiny insects are ants. Ants are one of the most amazing animals in the world. These tiny insects are belongs to the family of Formicidae. There are more than 12.000 species of ants which are spread throughout the world. As we already know that ant are social insect and they live on a big colonies. Ants are definitely strong because they can lift up more than their weight. Do you know that the colony of ants could covering up to thousands kilometer? What is the secret of their strength? Probably there are more questions about ants that flying in our mind. Don’t worry because you will find out the amazing facts about ant that you probably didn’t know it before in this article. Check this one out!
1. Genius Creature
ant facts – Genius Creature
Ants have the biggest proportion of brain compared with their body. They are known to be one of the most genius species among the other insects. Ants have approximately 250.000 brain cells inside their head. Now you know the reason why the ants are always find a way to get their food right?
2. War Expert
ant facts – War Expert
As we already know it together on the previous point, this insect is genius. Ants are not only known as the smartest insects in the world but also they are known to be the war expert. They are most likely fighting each other. The ants will attack other rival colonies and this battle could last for hours, days even weeks. The ants are fighting to defend their territories. One of the brutal impacts caused by this war is coming from the Pavement Ant. The biggest war ever known is between the Argentinean ants super colonies. This war has caused millions of ants as their victims in just one day.
3. Farming Expert
ant facts – Farming Expert
What are the best animals which can farm their own foods? Is it termites? Or is it elephant? I’m really sorry but your answer is incorrect. The best answer for the previous question is ants. Why? It’s because ants have already start to farming and cultivating their foods since 50 million years ago. Ants are already developing their own farming system to increase their food capacity. They are using advanced horticulture technique to increase their harvest result. The ants are secreting chemicals which are abundant in antibiotic to slowing the growth of fungi. Their nest are also build with advanced system for controlling the level of moist and temperature. I believe that most of you didn’t thought that they can do so many wonderful things aren’t you?
4. Ants Slavery
ant facts – Ants Slavery
There are species of ants in Amazon which is known to be practicing the act of slavery toward the other ants. They will observe their opponent’s nest before they invade the other colonies. The next strategy is, the Amazon ants will attack their panic and unorganized opponent. The Amazon will kill the living ants and taking their eggs to be raised as their slaves.
5. Numerous Numbers
ant facts – Numerous Numbers
The numbers of ants in the world are abundant. If all of them are calculated, 10% of all animals in the world are ants. If they are also measured together, their mass weight is the same as the mass weight of all human being in the world. Well, no one thought that this tiny insect could be so amazing right?
6. Super Colony
ant facts – Super Colony
As the previous discussion before, ants can form a super colony. The Argentinean ants are the most aggressive species. They can form a super colony consist of huge number of ants. The Argentinean ants are known to forming super colonies in California, United States of America. These super colonies have million of nests with the range almost hundreds of miles. Their nest is also lies underground. The different ants in a super colony are rarely seen to attacking each other. The biggest super colony of ant is located in the south of California with their range of 600 miles.
7. Carnivorous Ants
ant facts – Carnivorous Ants
There are species of ants located in Africa and Asia known as the most aggressive ant in the world. These ants are known as the Driver Ant, Safari Ant, and Siafu Ant. These ants are known to be the strongest hunter and they use their numerous numbers to kill their prey. These three species of ants are killing their prey with their numerous numbers. Driver ant was ever found killing a baby and horse.
8. Excellent Breeder
ant facts – Excellent Breeder
Ants are known to be the best insect with their farming and architecture system. Let me tell you this, they have more to offer. Ants are known to breeding some kind of bugs called Aphid. The honey ants harvesting the sweet nectar which is produced by the aphid’s secretion. The honey ants will protect and giving these bugs food they need. The honey ant will select the suitable plants for Aphid to stay. The honey ants will move the aphid into the safe place to avoid the threat from predators.
9. Social Structure
ant facts – Social Structure
These tiny insect also have social structure in their live. The queen of ants is bigger than her workers. The queen of ants also has bigger thorax and abdomen compared with her workers. She will produce a lot of eggs soon after finding a new colony. She can live up to 20 years and the queen of ants could produce thousand of egg during her lifetime. The king of ants has smaller body in the social structure. The only task of him is to fertilize the queen’s egg and they will die after few days. The worker ants are responsible to find the foods, keeping the babies, building the nest and protecting the colony. The soldier ants have bigger head. They are responsible to protecting their nest from the predators invasions.
10. Strange Reproduction System
ant facts – Strange Reproduction System
Some of the ants are known to be able to reproduce asexual and sexual. The ants will asexually clone themselves through parthenogenesis thetylotokous process. Ants have no sex chromosome inside their body, therefore, the fertilization process will determining the sex of the next ants.
11. Zombie Ants
ant facts – Zombie Ants
Ants can turn into fungi dead walker. They can infecting the other ants to find and sticking their body to leaves nearby which is the ideal place for fungi reproduction.
Yesterday, I found a whole bunch of ants in my garage and am having an exterminator come and get rid of them for me today. However, I find it very fascinated how organized they are as they move in lines and do their work for the queen ant. Of course, they are probably nothing like the Amazonian ants that practice slavery, but do you know whether or not there are any signs of North American ants practicing that as well?