Ants are one of the most common insects in the world. According to some estimates, this family includes just over 12,400 species, in which there are more than 4,500 subspecies. But this figure is not final and is constantly growing. Considering how many species of ants exist on the whole earth, many people are interested to know which of them are found on the territory of Russia.
General introduction to ants
From a biological point of view, ants are Hymenoptera. Their size varies depending on the species. These are social insects that live in colonies. They build their anthills from small particles in the soil or in wood. These families are well organized and have good communication systems to ensure that all their activities are coordinated. Interestingly, some species of ants communicate in their own language, with the help of which they convey complex information. Most of them have a symbiotic relationship with certain insects, plants, fungi and bacteria.
Each member of the colony knows his place and clearly fulfills his assigned role.
- Females. These are the founders of the anthill. Most colonies have only one female. She lays eggs so that her anthill constantly grows and replenishes.
- Male. They are needed for the fertilization of females.
- Working individuals. Thanks to them, the anthill lives. They build a house, guard it, clean it, supply all the inhabitants with food, take care of the larvae.
It is worth noting that males and females are equipped with wings, while worker ants do not. Also, some species of ants have a stinger.
Lifestyle
After the female has been fertilized, she loses her wings and goes in search of a place where she will lay the foundation of her anthill of several rooms and lay her eggs there. The male never survives. The uterus feeds the larvae with saliva. The first "batch" of released workers begins to engage in construction and food production. After enough worker ants appear, the female is only engaged in laying eggs, and the colony takes care of the larvae (white helpless worms). After five molts, pupae are formed that stop feeding. They produce adult females and workers. This process lasts the entire growing season. Males respawn only in spring.
The main diet is plant sap from aphid secretions. But while they are taking care of the larvae, the ants feed on other insects.
Ants: species in Russia and their features
It is known that these insects are able to adapt to various conditions and populate any landscape. But each individual species has its own characteristics, and this is due not only to externalcharacteristics. Each of them has its own differences in behavior and lifestyle. Therefore, if you learn more deeply about these insects, even those that live on our territory, they may seem to us no less interesting than those that live only in the tropics. It has already been mentioned how many species of ants are in the world, so it is worth noting that more than 125 of them are in Russia. But in different sources, this figure varies and sometimes reaches 300. The most familiar of them are red forest, meadow, pharaoh, domestic, termites, leaf cutters and others. Consider some types of ants. Photos of some insects will be attached.
Red Forest
This species for its habitat chooses mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests that are more than 40 years old. Females and workers are distinguished by a red-brown color. Their length is approximately 7-14 mm. The head of this ant has an oblong shape, and the body is dense. Males are black, with reddish or yellowish legs. Their families are single, divided into three castes. One nest can contain from 800 thousand to 1 million individuals. Mating flights begin from May to the end of June. Surprisingly, only working individuals, either males or females, emerge from the eggs. It all depends on the needs of the family.
This type of ant can harm fruit trees due to the fact that they breed aphids. But at the same time, they also benefit the gardens. These insects destroy many pests that damage cultivated plants. At the same time, ants pay special attention to those insects thatwhich begins mass reproduction. It was estimated that in a large anthill these insects can bring up to 21 thousand pest pupae in one day. Therefore, one such anthill is able to protect about a hectare of coniferous forest.
Meadow Ant
Another species common in Russia is meadow. The size of this insect varies between 5-11 mm. In meadow ants, the body is covered with villi, and there is a dark spot on the front of the breast. To build a house, they choose meadows, open edges and clearings. This species also breeds aphids. From the anthill to their "pastures" deepened paths were laid, over which sheds were made. Ants have been walking along these paths for years. In addition to aphid secretions, these ant species feed on dead insects. Very rarely eat alive.
After winter, as soon as the air warms up to +10 degrees, they crawl out of the anthill. At a temperature of +30, insects do not leave their home. It was described above how many species of ants there are in the world, but of all of them, only these make sorties for breeding twice a season. They fall in May and August.
Pharaoh Ant
This representative belongs to the smallest ants. Their total length is 2-4 mm. They were first discovered in Egypt in mummy tombs. Then Carl Linnaeus described them and gave them a name. This happened in 1758. The small size helped these babies to spread throughout the earth. In Russia, they were seen in 1889. This is how these types of ants became famous. In the world they meetin almost every corner where there are people.
Usually they have a yellow color and a dark abdomen. Males are almost black and always winged. This species is very industrious, and in the north side they settle exclusively in human houses. They prefer darkness and moisture, so they are more common in the crevices of floors, walls, and other voids. Since they are always warm, they do not hibernate and their colonies are constantly growing. Usually their number is several thousand. In addition, they do not have to fly out for reproduction, and after fertilization, working individuals bite off the wings of the uterus. In just a year, the family grows by two thousand inhabitants. The nest is divided, and so they spread throughout the area, growing into huge colonies. It is difficult to fight them, because there may be more than one female in one place. Interestingly, bed bugs cannot get along with these inhabitants, since the acids that come from pharaoh ants are deadly to these bed pests.
House Ant
These representatives are also among the smallest, their size ranges from 1 to 3 mm. The female and male are dark brown, and the working individuals are distinguished by a bright yellow color. These ants are called thieves. Their small size makes them almost invisible, and thanks to this they get along well near the anthills of other species. At the same time, they steal larvae and eggs from them in order to feed themselves. They can be found in central Russia, as well as on the southern side of the European part of the country.
Black Ant
This view alsois one of the most common and often settles in human homes. Their color is usually black, but sometimes dark brown. The entire body of the insect is covered with small villi. Usually anthills are built in the soil, and there is a mound on top. They can also build their dwellings both in wood and under boulders. Sometimes you can meet a larger black ant - in this case, you stumbled upon another representative, he is called a reaper. This species is known for its propensity for huge stocks in the anthill. They can collect about a kilogram of seeds and insects in order to successfully spend the winter. Interestingly, unlike other ants, they feed their larvae on plant foods, not insects.
But the types of ants that are found in Russia do not end there. For example, many people know woodworms that run along the branches and collect honeydew on the leaves, and establish their colonies in stumps or under the bark, gnawing through the passages. Also on the territory of the country there are some types of "Amazons" that do not give birth to working individuals, but steal larvae from more peaceful ants. The babies who were born think that the Amazons are their parents and begin to do all the "dirty" work for them.
The most dangerous ant species: names and descriptions
There are two types of these insects that instill a special fear in humans. But they are not found in Russia. These are the "bullet" and "soldier" ants (also known as wandering ants). The first species is found in forests stretching from Paraguay to Nicaragua. His body length is 2.5centimeters. He arranges his anthill on a tree. Passing under it, you can get caught by this ant, which bravely jumps on a person in order to protect its colony from the enemy. These insects know how to scream and before attacking, he makes a call. It's called a "bullet" for a reason. Its bite is as piercing and painful as a bullet wound.
Ant Soldier
This is the second dangerous arthropod. It mainly lives in the Amazon, but its families can be found in Asia and Africa. These are large individuals, reaching 1.5 cm. They are also equipped with large mandibles (about 7-8 mm). These ants do not have a permanent nest. They are always roaming, arranging a h alt only for that small period while the queen lays her eggs. At this time, the soldiers are in search of food. When the larvae appear, the ants pick them up and continue on their way. The worst thing is that they destroy all life on their way - insects, small and large animals - all those who did not want to hide or fell asleep. A careless victim is covered by hundreds of thousands of powerful soldiers like a wave. These ants are completely blind, so everyone regards them as a threat to their colony. That is why they are not afraid of the size of animals.
These ants are an unusually close-knit people. If necessary, they can create absolutely any figure from their bodies. For example, they make bridges for the colony to overcome an obstacle, or weather walls. To do this, they firmly cling to each other.
Enemiesants
As we have seen, different types of ants have their own internal structure, which protects them and allows the colony to exist. But these insects also have enemies who love to feast on them. One of the largest ant pests is the bear. He regularly ruins anthills, lowering his paws there. The ants “stick around” them, and the bear licks off the treat. Moles and frogs also like to eat these insects, which will not miss the baby running past. In addition, many people know the animal that is called the "anteater". He has a specially adapted muzzle in order to fit into the dwellings of insects. In addition, he is not afraid of their bites, because the hair is so hard and thick that even small ants are unable to get through it. The meat of this animal smells very strongly of these insects and is black in color. But these are not the only enemies of ants, because they are hunted not only by mammals, but by birds and even fish.
