Ant: An Analysis Of Ants And Eusocial Insects

1019 Words3 Pages

WHAT ARE THESE?

Ants are eusocial insects, i.e. They have the highest level of organization of animal

sociality, belonging from the family Formicidae and, like the wasps and bees, belong to

the order Hymenoptera, the third largest order of insects. Ants evolved from wasp-like

ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 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. What distinguishes them are their elbowed antennae

and the node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

HOW DO THEY LIVE AND FUNCTION “EUSOCIALLY”?

Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in

small natural …show more content…

Ants have a distinct morphology- elbowed antennae, metapleural glands, and a strong

constriction of their second abdominal segment into a node-like petiole. the three distinct

body segments are- The head, mesosoma, and metasoma. The petiole forms a narrow

waist between the mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to

it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole may be

formed by one or two nodes (the second alone, or the second and third abdominal

segments)1

Like other insects, ants have an external covering that provides a protective casing around

the body and a point of attachment for muscles. oxygen and other gases, such as carbon

dioxide, pass through their exoskeleton via tiny valves called spiracles. they have a long,

thin, perforated tube along the top of the body (called the "dorsal aorta") that functions

like a heart, and pumps haemolymph toward the head, thus driving the circulation of the

internal fluids. The nervous system consists of a ventral nerve cord that runs the length of

the body, with several ganglia and branches along the way reaching into the extremities

of the appendages.

LIFE

More about Ant: An Analysis Of Ants And Eusocial Insects

Open Document