This document discusses the social behavior of ants in India. It describes 6 common species of Indian ants, including their sizes, lifespans, and characteristics. It discusses ant nest formation, the different castes (queens, workers, males), and the life cycle from egg to adult. It provides details on unique species like farmer ants that cultivate fungus gardens and honey collector ants that obtain nectar from caterpillars. In closing, it shares some interesting facts about ants' abilities and history.

1. TOPIC- SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR OF
ANTS
GOVT.COLLEGE(
AUTO.)ANGUL GUIDED BY-RUTUPARNA PANDA
DEBENDRAKUMARMAJHI
ROLL NO-
16ZOO030

2. CONTENTS
Introduction
Type of Indian ants
Nest Formation
Different forms of ants
Life cycle
Farmer ants
Honey collecter ant
Some Intresting facts about ants
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3. CLASS-INSECTA
ORDER-HYMENOPTERA
FAMILY-FORMICIDAE
PHYLUM-EUARTHROPODA
KINGDOM-ANIMALIA
Species in world – More than 12000 species & Species in India – Around 828 species.
About 90% Ant species are social .
Commonly 6 species of Inian ant carry social behaviour. These are given below.
MONOMORIUM
CAMPONOTUS
SOLENOPSIS
DORYLUS
AENICTUS
OECOPHYLLA
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4. Large and little black.
Commonly called Pharaoh
ant.(Pharaoh=king of Egypt).
Length-0.5mm.
Life spane- 4 to 12 months.
MONOMORIUM CAMPONOTUS
Common black ant.
Commonly called as Carpenter ant.
Length-0.2mm.
Life spane-6 to 12 weeks.
predators in nature.
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5. SOLENOPSIS DORYLUS
Commonly called fire ant & small red ant.
Comparetvely other ant ,fire ant bite and
spray formic acid.
Length-3 to 6mm.
Life spane of Queen and Worker are
7 years and 5 weeks respectively.
Nest in soil,river bank,pond shore etc.
Commonly called as driver ant.
Also calld as winged ant.
Length-1mm
Life spane-2 to 3 years.
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6. AENICTUS
Commonly called as army ant.
Very hard working and predators in nature.
Length-0.5 mm
Life spane-3 years.
OECOPHYLLA
Commonly called as weaver ant.
Mostly found in trees and red in colour.
Show unique nest building behavior where
worker construct nest by weaving and
using larval silk.
Length-8 to 10mm
Life spane-8 to 10 weeks.
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7. NEST FORMATION
New colony is found by a single fertilized queen.
Some species do not construct nest and most of species make their own nest.
Some species occupy temporaily nests of other ants that relationship called
plesiobiosis.
Ant make subterranean nests by excavating that form granier used as storing food
and galleries chamber for brood.
Ant species Formica rufa make mound nest which is 60-160cm in diameter.
Oecophylla(weaver ant) construct nest that own larval silk mixed with vegetable.
Weaver ant colony consist of single queen and two types of worker.(Small
worker-care for eggs & Large worker-construct nest,care queen).
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8. WEAVER ANT NEST
FORMICA RUFA′S MOUND
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9. DIFFERENT FORMS OF ANTS
The main cast of ants are queens,worker and male.
QUEEN / GYNES
These are fertile female.
Queen is largest in size in comparison to
other castes of their species.
Antennae and legs are shorter and mandibles well
developed.
Larger individual are called macrogyens and dwarf ones
microgynes.
An egg laying worker called gynaecoid,occours in colony if
queen is lost due to any reason that action rarely occurs in
colony and they bears external secondary sexual character of
both male and female.
QUEEN
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10. WORKERS / ERGATES
Sterile female are called worker.
Smallest in size & larger are called macregate and
smaller are micregate.
Macregates are called Pahelwan of insect world
because their ability to lift too much weights of their
body weight.
Amazing sense of direction & without wings.
In army ant colony 3 types of worker are present.These are
Small worker – Task for feeding broods.
Midium worker – Task for searching food.
Larger worker(Soldiers) - Task for defending own colony and attack other insect colony.
WORKER
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11. MALES / ANERS
These are small ,fertile,winged
indivisuals.
They bear small head and reduced
mandibles.
Well developed reproductive organ
and longer antennae.
Larger indivisuals are called
macraners.
Smaller indivisuals are called micraners.
MALE
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12. LIFE CYCLE
Mating occurs in nuptial flight.
Adult: The pupa emerges as an adult. The entire life cycle usually lasts from 6
to 10 weeks.
The life cycle of the ant consists of four stages:
egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Fertilized eggs produce female ants (queens, workers, or
soldiers).
unfertilized eggs produce male ants.
Egg: Ant eggs are oval shaped and tiny.
Larva: The worm-like larvae have no eyes and no legs.
Pupa: A cocoon cover the pupa as it metamorphoses to adult.
Queen lays eggs that hatch into larva which is cylindercal.
Adults
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13. FARMER ANTS
In South America rain forest,“Fungus
gardening species“ of ant cultivate like human
beings.
These ant do gardening of fungus in 180m radius.
These ant species worker cast cut small pieces of leaves
from plant of rain forest.
These small pieces of leaves are masticated by worker to
form pulp of leaves.
Pulp of leaves is mixed with waste products and some own
secretion of their own body to make pulp fertile.
Fungus spores fall on this pulp and fungus grow within a week.
These fungus is food of these ant.
FARMER ANT
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14. HONEY COLLECTOR ANT
Rattle ants are found in tropical forests of Australia.
Sah balloon is a caterpillar of small butterfly.
These caterpillar bear a small tube on dorsal surface
of its body.
These small tube secreat green nutrient called honey dew.
Worker rattle ant collect these honey dew and use as food.
Sah balloon caterpillar and Rattle ant live symbiotically.
Catterpiller provide them honey dew and ant
provide them protection.
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15. SOME INTERSTING FACTS ABOUT ANTS
Ants have ability to carry 10-50 times their own body weight.
Ants do not have lungs and ears.
But breath through spiracles.
But hear using vibration.
Lot of ants in world, around 1 millions ant = 1 human in the world.
Ants have two stomaches.
One stomach – Hoilding food for own.
Another stomach – For sharing food to other ant.
Ants are as old as dinosaurs. ( During cretaceous period 130
millions years ago.)
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