The document discusses different types of ants. It describes the basic ant anatomy including their three body parts - head, thorax, and abdomen. It then discusses three main types of ants - queens, workers, and males. Queens lay eggs while workers perform all other tasks. The document also describes common ant species found in homes and yards, such as field ants, pavement ants, carpenter ants, and odorous house ants. It explains how ants communicate using antennae and pheromones and provides an overview of the ant lifecycle from egg to adult.

1. AntsAnts
APARNA.P

2. Ants are insects and like all
insects, the body has three main
parts - the head, the thorax
(middle section), and the
abdomen.
Insects have six legs that are
attached to the thorax, three to
each side.
The head is made up of the jaws,
the eyes, and the antennae. The
eyes of ants are made up of many
lenses and are called compound
eyes. Compound eyes make it
possible for ants to see
movement very well.

3. The antennae are special organs used
by the ant to smell, touch, taste, and
hear.
Ants breathe through tiny holes all over
their body. The ant's heart is a long
tube that pumps colorless blood from
the head back to the abdomen and then
back up to the head again.

4. 

5. TYPES OF ANTSTYPES OF ANTS
Ants live in large colonies or groups.
Their home is a nest. There may be
up to a million ants in a large nest. In
each colony there are three types of
ants: the queen, the female workers,
and males. The male ants' job is to
mate with queen ants so that they will
be able to lay eggs. Male ants don't
live very long.

6. Field ants (Formica species) are among
the most common ants found in yards
and gardens and are observed in homes
most commonly in spring (Figure 4).
They are black or reddish-brown and
black ants of medium size (3/16-1/3 inch)
and sometimes are mistaken for
carpenter ants. They nest outdoors in
loose soil and some produce mounds
that incorporate twigs, dried leaves and
other plant materials. Migrations into
homes occur in spring when soils warm
enough to cause colonies to resume
activity but cool temperatures prevent
normal foraging in yards. Field ants feed
on a variety of foods but most often are
observed visiting sweet honeydew
excreted by aphids and or other sweet
materials.
Field ants (Formica species) are among
the most common ants found in yards
and gardens and are observed in homes
most commonly in spring (Figure 4).
They are black or reddish-brown and
black ants of medium size (3/16-1/3 inch)
and sometimes are mistaken for
carpenter ants. They nest outdoors in
loose soil and some produce mounds
that incorporate twigs, dried leaves and
other plant materials. Migrations into
homes occur in spring when soils warm
enough to cause colonies to resume
activity but cool temperatures prevent
normal foraging in yards. Field ants feed
on a variety of foods but most often are
observed visiting sweet honeydew
excreted by aphids and or other sweet
materials.
Field antsField ants

7. Pavement antsPavement ants
Pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum)
are ants to have first found their way to
Colorado only in the past few decades but
now are often the most common species
that people notice (Figure 2). They
characteristically produce small mounds of
soil at entrances of their nest, and nests are
often located under pavement or rocks
(Figure 3). They are small ants (1/10-1/16-
inch), dark- brown colored and have fine
grooves that line their head. Pavement ants
forage a wide variety of foods, usually
consistently preferring greasy materials.
Feeding habits shift during the season with
higher protein materials being sought when
young are being reared and sugars more
favored at other times.
Pavement ants (Tetramorium caespitum)
are ants to have first found their way to
Colorado only in the past few decades but
now are often the most common species
that people notice (Figure 2). They
characteristically produce small mounds of
soil at entrances of their nest, and nests are
often located under pavement or rocks
(Figure 3). They are small ants (1/10-1/16-
inch), dark- brown colored and have fine
grooves that line their head. Pavement ants
forage a wide variety of foods, usually
consistently preferring greasy materials.
Feeding habits shift during the season with
higher protein materials being sought when
young are being reared and sugars more
favored at other times.

8. Carpenter antsCarpenter ants
Carpenter ants (Camponotus species) are the
largest ants that occur in Colorado (1/4-3/8
inch) and are particularly abundant in forested
areas. They may be either black or black with
a reddish brown thorax. They are most
similar to the field ants but can be
distinguished by examining them in side view,
with the thorax of the carpenter ants being
uniformly rounded without indentation.
Carpenter ants nest in wood, almost always
establishing colonies in wood almost always
are foragers that will return to an outdoor
nest in the yard. Rarely they will establish a
nest in the building, always at some point of
previous water-damage. Carpenter ants
(Figure 5) mostly feed on a mixture of dead
insects and honeydew.
Carpenter ants (Camponotus species) are the
largest ants that occur in Colorado (1/4-3/8
inch) and are particularly abundant in forested
areas. They may be either black or black with
a reddish brown thorax. They are most
similar to the field ants but can be
distinguished by examining them in side view,
with the thorax of the carpenter ants being
uniformly rounded without indentation.
Carpenter ants nest in wood, almost always
establishing colonies in wood almost always
are foragers that will return to an outdoor
nest in the yard. Rarely they will establish a
nest in the building, always at some point of
previous water-damage. Carpenter ants
(Figure 5) mostly feed on a mixture of dead
insects and honeydew.

9. Odorous house antsOdorous house ants
Odorous house ants (Tapinoma
sessile) are small (1/10-inch) black
ants that have only recently been
found in Colorado (Figure 6).
When disturbed, they will raise
their abdomen and emit an odor
reminiscent of coconut. They do
not nest indoors but may enter to
forage on various foods including
sweets, cooked vegetables, fruit
slices and pastries. Heavy mulch
adjacent to building foundations has
been associated with increased
problems with odorous house ants.

10. A male and a female queen antA male and a female queen ant
mate. The female is the larger antmate. The female is the larger ant

11. The queen grows to be an adult, mates
with a male, then spends the rest of her
life laying eggs. In a colony there may be
only one queen or there may be many
queens, depending on the species of ant.
Worker ants do all the work in the nest.
They build it and clean it, gather food,
look after the queen, the eggs, and the
young ants. Worker ants also defend the
nest.

12. COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION
Ants communicate (talk to each other)
by touching each other with their
antennae. They also use chemicals called
pheromones (say ferra-moans) to leave a
trail of scent for other ants to follow.
Ants have lived on the Earth for more
than 100 million years and can be found
almost anywhere on the planet.

13. Life cycleLife cycle
 Egg: Ant eggs are oval shaped and tiny (they
are on the order of 1 mm long, but the
queen's egg is many times larger).
Larva: The worm-like larvae have no eyes
and no legs; they eat food regurgitated by
adult ants. The larvae molt (shed their skin)
many times as they increase in size.
Pupa: After reaching a certain size, the larva
spins a silk-like cocoon around itself (against
a solid object, like the wall of the chamber)
and pupates. During this time the body
metamorphoses (changes) into its adult
form.
Adult: The pupa emerges as an adult. The
entire life cycle usually lasts from 6 to 10
weeks. Some queens can live over 15 years,
and some workers can live for up to 7 years