Ants - Social organisation and types of nests

In this presentation, social organisation of Ants, their life cycle, types, nests has been discused.

1. By: Dr. PreetiKalia
Ph.D. (Zoology)

2. INTRODUCTION
•Antsarecommoninsects,buttheyhavesomeunique
capabilities.Morethan10,000knownantspeciesoccuraround
theworld.Theyareespeciallyprevalentintropicalforests,
wheretheymaybeuptohalfofalltheinsectslivinginsome
location.
ScientificClassification
•Kingdom:Animalia
•Phylum:Arthropoda
•Class: Insecta
•Order: Hymenoptera
•Family: Formicidae

3. MORPHOLOGY OF ANT

4. •Afamilyofantsiscalledacolony.Acolonyhasdifferenttypes
ofants,orcastes,eachhasdifferentjobs,allarecrucialtotheir
survival.
•Inthesameantspecies,differenttypesofindividualscanbe
distinguishedeitherbytheirexternalappearance(inwhichcase
theyarereferredtoasdifferentmorphologicalcaste)orbytheir
functionwithinthecolony(differentbehavioralcastes).The
numberofmorphologicalcastesandtheirfunctioninthe
colonyvarydependingonthespecies.Herebelowarethemost
commonones.

5. QUEEN
•Queenantsarethefoundersofallcolonies.Itischaracterisedasarulebyher
largerstatureandthemoreuniformdevelopmentofherorgans.Theheadiswell
developedandprovidedwithmoderatelylargeeyes,ocelliandmandibles,thorax
islarge(macronotal)andpresentsallthescleritesofthetypicalfemale
Hymenopteron;thegasterisvoluminousandprovidedwithwelldeveloped
reproductiveorgans.Thelatterpossessareceptaculumseminis.Thewingsand
legsareoftenpropoortionallysmallerthaninthemale.Oncemated,shecanstay
fertilizedformanyyearslayingmillionsofeggs.
•Somequeenscanlaythousandsof
eggseachday.Theyreallyareegg
layingmachines.
•Queenantsalsohavetherecord
forthelongestlivingofallinsects,
rangingfromonetouptothirtyyears!

6. WORKERS
•Minorworkerants,orsimply'workers',arethemostcommon
antfoundinanycolony.
•Thesesterilefemaleantsarethesmallestant,buttheydothe
mostwork.
•Somelookafterthequeenandbrood,someforageforfood
fromaroundthenest,whilstothersmaintainandexpandthe
nest.
•Workerscanlivebetweenafewmonthsanduptofiveyears.

7. SOLDIER
•Soldierantsarealsoknownasmajorworkersorbigheads.
•Thesesterilefemaleantsarelargerandstrongerthantypicalworkers.They
protecttheircolonyfromlargepredatorsandusetheirstrengthandlarge
jawsormandiblestocutandcarrylargerobjects.
•Inharvesterantspecies,thesoldiersusetheirstrengthtocrackopenhard
seeds.Inleafcutterantspecies,thesolderscutthroughthethickerplantsso
thattheminorworkerscancarrytheclippingsbacktotheirnest.
•Somespecieshavemedianworkersthataresizedbetweenminorand
majorworkers.

8. PRINCESS
•Aprincessisanunfertilizedvirginqueen,shehaswingsandsois
analateflyingant.
•Princessestaketotheskiestomateonawarm,humidsummersdayalso
knownasthenuptialflight.
•Oncemated,theyscurryalongthegroundtofindasuitablenestingplaceto
laytheireggs.
•Theycliptheirownwingsandusethemasaproteinsourcetofeedtheirnew
family.

9. DRONES
•Dronesaretheonlymaleantsinacolony.Theyarebornfromun-
fertilizedeggs.
•Dronesarenotliketypicalants.Theydon'tdoanyworkintheirnestsand
theylookmorelikewaspsthanants.
•Theyarereproductivewingedantsandsoarealates.Theytaketotheskies
onthesamedayastheprincessestomateduringthenuptialflight.
•Oncetheyhavemated,theydie.Droneswillonlysurviveafewmonths
duringthematingseason.Theirlifeisshortlived,butlikeallants,theyplay
acrucialpartintheantlifecycle.

10. •The nuptial flight is seen as the first stage of the ant life cycle. The
reproductive, flyingalateants i.e.princesses anddrones,take to the skies
to mate.
•Once the princesses are ready to mate, they release pheromonesto attract
drones. They often try to out fly the drones so that only the strongest can
mate with them. Mating takes place during the flight.
•Princesses usually mate with more than one drone. The sperm is stored in
a 'sperm pocket' that should last throughout her lifetime fertilizing tens of
millions of eggs.
•Soon after the flight the drones die and the princess lands in preparation to
find a new home.

11. LIFE CYCLE

12. Stage 1
•The Queen Ant lays eggs.
Stage 2
•After a few days the eggs hatch into larvae. The larvae are fed by the Worker Ants.
Stage 3
•After about 8 days the larvae spins a cocoon around itself. Once in the cocoon it is called a
pupa.
Stage 4
•3 weeks later young Ants hatch from the cocoons. They are helped out by the Worker Ants.
These Ants spend their life gathering food and keeping the nest tidy. Worker Ants live for
about 5 years.

13. ANT CASTES
Male (Aner)
•Micraner
•Macraner
•Phthiasaner
•Doylaner
•Ergataner(Ergatandromorph)
Worker (Ergates)
•Micrarergate
•Phthisergate
•Macrergate
•Pterergate
•Mermithergate
•Plerergate
•Gynaecoid
•Desmergate--------------------Dinergate
•Ergatandromorph

14. Female (Gyne)
•Macrogyne
•Ergatogyne
•Pseudogynae
•Dichthadiigyne
•Microgyne
•Phthisogyne
•Beta female
•Gynandromorph

15. HONEY POT ANTS
•Honeypotants,alsocalledhoneyantsorrepletes,areants
whicharegorgedwithfoodbyworkers,tothepointthattheir
abdomensswellenormously,aconditioncalledplerergate.
Otherantsthenextractnourishmentfromthem.Theyfunction
essentiallyaslivinglarders.Honeypotantsbelongtoanyof
fivegenera,includingMyrmecocystus.

16. ANT NESTS
•Anantcolonyisanundergroundlairwhereantslive,eat&tendtheeggs
producedbytheQueenant.Duringcoolwintermonthsantsaredormantand
sleepinthenest,astheweatherwarmsuptheybecomeactiveandleavethenest
Coloniesconsistofaseriesofundergroundchambers,connectedtoeachother
andthesurfaceoftheearthbysmalltunnels.Thereareroomsfornurseries&
foodstorageetc..Thecolonyisbuiltandmaintainedbylegionsofworkerants,
whocarrytinybitsofdirtintheirmandiblesanddepositthemneartheexitof
thecolony,forminganant-hill.Antsliveincoloniesinanest.searchingfor
food.

17. GALLERIES and CHAMBERS IN NESTS

18. CLASSIFICATION OF NESTS
A. Nests in in the soil
•Small crater nests
•Large crater nests
•Mound or hill nests
•Nests under stones, logs etc
B. Nests in the cavities of plants
1. Nests in preformed cavities of living plants
•In hollow stems
•In hollow thorns
•In hollow bulbs
2. Nests in woody plant tissues, often in cavities wholly or in part excavated by
other insects
•In or under bark
•In twigs
•In tree trunks
•In galls, pine cones, seed pods, etc.

19. C. Suspended Nests
•Suspended earthernnests
•Carton nests
•Silken nests
D. Nests in unusual sites (in houses, etc.)
E. Accessory Structures
•Succursalnests
•Covered runways
•Tents or pavilions
Carton nest
Carpenter ant nest

20. ANT HILL
•Anant-hill,initssimplestform,isapile
ofearth,sand,pineneedles,orclayoracompositeoftheseand
othermaterialsthatbuildupattheentrancesofthe
subterraneandwellingsofantcoloniesastheyareexcavated.A
colonyisbuiltandmaintainedbylegionsofworkerants,who
carrytinybitsofdirtandpebblesintheirmandiblesanddeposit
themneartheexitofthecolony.Theynormallydepositthedirt
orvegetationatthetopofthehilltopreventitfromsliding
backintothecolony,butinsomespeciestheyactivelysculpt
thematerialsintospecificshapes,andmaycreatenest
chamberswithinthemound.

21. WEAVER NESTS
Someantsinwarmercountriesbuildevenmoreexoticandcomplex
nests:Oceophyllalonginoda,ormorecommonlycalled‘Weaverants’,
createnestsby‘sewing’leavestogether,usingastickysecretionthatis
createdbytheirlarvae.Theworkerswillformlivingchainsofantsin
ordertopulltheedgesoftwoleavestogetherandholdthemthere,
whilstotherworkerswillholdtheirlarvae,touchtheheadofthelarvae
tooneedgeandgentlypullback.Astringoflarvalsilkwillissueforth
andtheworkerantwillattachthissilktotheedgeoftheotherleaf,and
sobindthetwoleavestogether.Thiswillberepeatedmanytimes,
bymanyants,usingmanyleaves,
untilaballofleavesallsewn
togetheriscreated;andit
isinthisthattheantslive.

22. LIVING NESTS
•AnothertypeofantnestarethosecreatedbytheArmyantsofSouthAmerica,such
asEcitonburchelli,whichwillcreatevast‘livingnests’calledbivouacs.Thesenests,
whichareonlytemporary,arecreatednotfromsoil,leaves,plantsorsomeother
material,butbythebodiesoftheantsthemselves.Theywillcometogetherona
branchorsomeotherobjectwhichisclosetotheground,yethasaspacebeneathit,
andgraspeachothersfeettoformahugemassofants.Otherantswillclamberon
toptocreate‘ropes’and‘chains’ofants,andtherebycreateanimpenetrablecurtain
ofants.Deepinsidethislivingnestarefoundthebroodandqueen.Someofthese
bivouacscancontainmanymillionsofants.
•Theantscancontrolthetemperatureof
thebivouacbyeithercreatinggapsbetween
theantsinordertoletairin,or
comeclosertogethertokeeptheheatin.

23. •Lasiusniger,thecommonblackgardenant,liketocutoutnests
understonesoragainstawall,andsometimeswillinvadethe
nestsofotherantspeciesthataremoreskilledatnestbuilding
thanthemselves.Lasiusfuliginosusbuildcartonnests,which
areformedbytheantschewinguppiecesofwoodandmixing
themwithhoneydewandatypeofsyrup,verysimilartothe
waywaspswillbuildtheirnests.
•Myrmica(redants)seemtoprefertoexcavatenestsagainsta
supportivestructureandmayalsobuildunderflatstonesor
creategalleriesagainstflatobjects.Myrmicaalsowillcutinto
softwoodiftherearenosupportivestructuresaround.

24. References
•https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Caste_Terminology
•https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_ant
•https://www.google.com/search?q=animated+ant+title&tb
m=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjb8f68nurpAhX7kksFHZiNDxYQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=animated+ant+title&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA
zoCCAA6BggAEAgQHlCvc1jxgQFg0IMBaABwAHgAgAHDAYg
BsgiSAQMwLjaYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZw&sclient=i
mg&ei=z__ZXpvOLfulrtoPmJu-
sAE&bih=657&biw=1366&safe=active#imgrc=AJoOBnXoIYh
b_M
•www.google.com
•Colourboximages

25. THANK
YOU