The life of ants in an anthill
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- Insect housing
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- Ants life
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- Anthill in winter
The life of ants in nature is a unique phenomenon to which man never ceases to be surprised. In the world there are about 10 thousand species of these insects. The total mass of all ants is equal to the weight of all people on the planet. The queen of the family lives about 25 years, the working individual - from 3 to 5 years.
Insect housing
Amazing architectural structure with a variety of cameras, passages, floors, exits and entrances. Height anthill reaches several meters, diameter - about 5 m, with the size of one ant up to 8 mm.In one house live millions of individuals. The entire colony has several million insects.
Outside is a mound of land with twigs, sticks, leaves, needles, other building material that can overpower ant. The cone-shaped form of an anthill is well heated in the sun, provides free air circulation, and protects from rain drops.
Inside is much more complicated. The structure of the anthill resembles a multi-storey building with a huge number of apartments. Divided into 2 parts. The upper one is designed for life in the warm season, the lower one goes deep into the ground, ensures safe, safe wintering. In each of them there are cameras that resemble separate rooms:
- Queen's apartments;
- egg chamber;
- larvae room;
- pantry with food supplies;
- warehouse for waste, garbage;
- tomb;
- room with aphids;
- bedrooms for wintering.
Cameras are interconnected by numerous moves. Entrances are guarded, tightly closed for the winter.
Ant families are constantly replenished, housing expansion is required. Construction continues every year.In case of danger - in case of damage, destruction of an anthill, residents immediately proceed to the construction of a new building, dragging stocks of food, larvae, eggs there.
Interesting!
The largest anthill is found in the Tomsk region. The height is 3 m, diameter - 5 m. Built about 25 years. Next to the members of this family, a new housing is being built that is identical in appearance.
Relationship within
The life of ants in an anthill is strictly regulated by local laws.
- At the head of the hierarchy stands uterus - the queen. Her duties include procreation. Every week, the female lays eggs, the working individuals drag them into special chambers, and provide favorable conditions for development. Queen lives to 25 years.
- A small proportion of ant society - young males. Their fate is predicted. After fertilization, females die within 2 weeks.
- The main part of society is working individuals. The castes are formed by females incapable of fertilization. Lifespan depends on the type of habitat.
Interesting!
Female, male larvae hatch from the eggs. Which of them will be in the future depends on nutrition, diet.Ants independently regulate the number of females, working individuals, providing different conditions for the larvae.
Ant castes do not change, but at a young age individuals are given the opportunity to test themselves in any field. The lowest caste is the builders. These include those ants who could not express themselves in another field. In addition to this profession in the ant family there are many others:
- scouts;
- security guards;
- military - invaders;
- food eaters;
- nannies;
- storekeepers;
- millers or shepherds;
- the midwife;
- nurses;
- transporters.
In the life of ants are clearly divided powers, duties. Periodically you have to confirm your status. Ants arrange disassembly among themselves, demonstrating their superiority.
Interesting!
In the life of an ant there is a constant process of learning, the transfer of information. Insects are capable teachers and pupils. Adult individuals pass on their experience to young ones, showing how to act. If an adult ant finds food, conducts along the same trajectory of the young student so that he himself can find the prey. The same interaction is observed in any area of ant life.
Wintering
How ants live in cold weatheris also interesting. From mid-summer, they have been making food stocks for the winter. With the first frost tightly closed all entrances. As the temperature decreases, they move to the lower part of the anthill.
If the winter is not so severe, life inside does not stop. Everything goes on its own, only fecundity of the female is reduced. Insects even have the ability to go out in search of food. In severe frosts, ants move to bedrooms. Their metabolism slows down, the need for food disappears, the insect stops moving. People characterize such a state of deep sleep.
Activated life in the anthill with the onset of heat. The soil warms up, the ants gradually move to the upper floors, open entrances.
Benefits to nature
In the anthill several ant perform the functions of a scout. They crawl around in search of food, inspect the territory for the presence of enemies, danger. Ants act as food for other insects, birds, some animals. You should always be alert.
Ants bring nature huge favor. They are called forest nurses.Extraction of 1 large anthill per day is about 7,000 caterpillars, 28,000 pupae, 3,000 oak moths, 4,000 pine scoops. During the summer, working ants bring up to 60 thousand seeds of plants, 19 buckets of sap, 7 million insects to the anthill. Most of these stocks go to food larvae.
Small creatures improve soil quality. They fight against plant pests, loosen layers. Aphids are used as a “pet”. They feed it with leaves, collect the sweet substance that the insect emits on its body.
In our area, ants help many plants grow. Plantain sow, violet, snowdrops, celandine, etc.
On a note!
Mankind appreciated the beneficial composition of ant poison. The substance is used for the preparation of medical devices. Used to treat the circulatory system, joints, musculoskeletal system. The poison contains a huge number of antibiotics that destroy pathogens.
The life of ants in nature is interesting, attractive, amazing. However, there are families that harm crops, build nests in human habitation.In this case, the most sophisticated are used. destruction methods either expelling pests into the natural environment
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