Ants (Formicidae) are a family of hymenopteran insects well known for their social behaviour. These animals form large colonies in which they cooperate as a single unit. This is a feature that has allowed them to take advantage of all available resources and colonize the entire planet.
As we all know, ants spend all day carrying different types of organic matter to the nest: leaves, seeds, dead arthropods… However, many do not feed on what they collect, but they are farmers or even ranchers! You want to know more? Don't miss this article on our site about what do ants eat
Characteristics of ants
To understand what ants eat, it is necessary to know them in depth. For this reason, we have gathered its most important characters. These are some of the characteristics of ants:
- Anatomy: His body is divided into three parts: head, metasoma (thorax), and mesosoma (abdomen). On the head they contain a pair of antennae, compound eyes, and a chewing mouthpart. Six legs emerge from the thorax and, only in sexual individuals, two pairs of wings.
- Metamorphosis: When the egg hatches, legless and headless larvae emerge from it, enlarge and transform into immobile pupae. They undergo a series of profound changes until they become adults.
- Hormigueros: Almost all types of ants form large communities that carry out collective activities. To do this, they build a series of tunnels and habitats, usually on the ground or in trees. There, they take care of the larvae and store food.
- Castas: in the same anthill there are three types of ants: workers, drones and a single queen. The queen and the drones are dedicated to reproduction, while the workers carry out all the tasks of the colony: collection, care of the larvae, cleaning and defense.
- Pheromones: Ants have a complex inter-animal communication system based on pheromones (hormones). Thanks to them they can, among other things, warn of a danger and mark the path to follow to the food. This is the reason for the characteristic rows of ants.
Ant Feeding
Answering what ants eat is not easy, since they are a very diverse group of animals. Ants feed on different types of food depending on the species and the place where they live. Therefore, we are going to see some types of ants according to their dietThey are as follows:
- Grain-eating ants
- Predatory ants
- Farmer ants
- Grazing ants
- Mutualistic Ants
What do harvester ants eat?
Harvesting ants are those that feed on seeds To do so, they collect large quantities of this food and transport it long distances to their anthill. Once there, they store the seeds in their barn and protect them from fungi.
All of these ants are essential for seed dispersal, as most of the seeds they bury will sprout and become plants. Many species of the genera Messor and Goniomma participate in this important work, among others.
Feeding of predatory ants
Many ants are predators, that is, the forager workers hunt insects or other arthropods Some can even hunt animals larger ones, like lizards or small mice. Due to their danger, they usually present the red color as a warning signal for their potential predators, which is known as aposematism. So if you're wondering what fire ants eat, here's the answer.
A good example of carnivorous ants are the subfamilies Ecitoninae and Dorylinae, known as soldier ants These insects form nomadic groups that move continuously. As they go, they hunt the small animals they find. However, they often alternate their travels with sedentary phases in which the queen lays large numbers of eggs.
What do farmer ants eat?
Many species of ants are fungus farmers. They are dedicated to collecting different types of organic matter, especially leaves. In the anthill, other workers chew the leaves to mix them with their saliva and leave them in their "garden". The goal is to grow mushrooms and then eat them.
Examples of fungus-growing ants are the Atta and Acromyrmex genera, known as leafcutter ants.
Feeding the grazing ants
Many ants graze other arthropods of the order Homoptera, such as aphids or aphids. They gather them in groups and defend them from their predators in exchange for a very succulent food: the drops of honeyThese are sugary substances from plant sap that aphids expel through their anus.
Some ants, such as Camponotus inflatus, collect leaves full of honey droplets and carry them to the anthill. There, the caretaker ants use them to feed other very special workers. These are the "honey pot" ants, whose abdomen is distensible and becomes a kind of pot that they fill with honey. This food is a food reserve for the entire colony.
Feeding of mutualistic ants
Finally, to answer what ants eat, we cannot forget about mutualistic ants. These are insects that live inside the thorns of some plants, such as acacias (Acacia spp.). These provide them with food and shelter in exchange for defending them from herbivorous animals. It is a function that the species of the genus Pseudomyrmex fulfill very well.
Among the foods that plants provide to ants are “Beltian bodies”, small reddish balls that appear at the end of leaves. In addition, these plants usually offer a nutritious extrafloral nectar that they secrete through the leaves.
Curiosities about ants
Now that we know what ants eat, we are going to answer some of the most common questions about these eusocial insects. These are just some of the many curiosities about ants.
Why are all the workers female?
As we already know, queens are dedicated to laying eggs. These can be of two types: fertilized by males (diploid) or unfertilized (haploid). Haploid eggs give rise to drones or male ants, whose only mission is to fertilize the queen for the production of diploid eggs. These give rise to female ants that can be workers or new queens.
If you have any doubts, you can consult this other article on "How ants reproduce".
What differentiates the worker ants from the queen?
The larvae that will become queens receive a diet very rich in protein, while the workers receive a poorer diet. This disparity in feeding turns certain genes on or off, causing differences in larval development. As a result, they will have a different shape and behavior. It is, therefore, an example of epigenetics.
Why are there ants with wings?
Only the new queens and drones have wings. The new queens are winged because they leave the colony to form a new one. Outside, they pair up with a drone, also winged, and carry out the so-called “nuptial flight”, during which copulation takes place. Afterward, the queen looks for a place to hibernate. Once there, she loses her wings and builds a small anthill in which she lays her eggs. These will give rise to the first workers of the new colony.
Why don't worker ants lay eggs?
In some species, workers are born with atrophied ovaries. However, there are species in which sterility is reversible. In these cases, it is the queen who controls the sterility of the workers through the secretion of inhibitory hormones. In fact, workers that are away from the influence of the queen for a while can lay unfertilized eggs, giving rise to drones.
Can there be different types of workers?
Some species have workers of different sizes that fulfill different functions. In these cases, we say that there are subcastes. Usually, the largest are soldiers defending the colony. The rest can distribute the work between collectors and “housewives”.
In other species all workers are the same. However, there is also a cast at work. It is the youngest ants that are dedicated to the internal tasks of the colony, while the oldest ones go outside to collect.
