The most common types of forest ants

Ants are one of the largest arthropod families. They are distributed almost throughout the world. The only exceptions are Antarctica and some remote islands. In total, there are about 13,000 species of these insects, divided into 21 modern and 5 fossil subfamilies. They, in turn, are divided into 54 tribes and approximately 400 genera, of which most live in tropical, subtropical and temperate forests. Consider the most common forest species of ants.

Ants living in Russia

About 300 species of representatives of the ant family live in Russia, most of which live in forests. Most often there are black and red forest ants.

Red ants

Red ants are one of the most recognizable inhabitants of Russian forests. It is they who build the huge anthill domes that can be found literally under each tree. The red forest ant is a fairly large insect, often reaching a length of 10-14 mm. Its color can vary from saturated red on the lower body and chest to black-brown on the abdomen.

Red forest ants predators. The bulk of their food is made up of aphids, insects, and small invertebrates. They can also attack humans and animals that have accidentally invaded the territory of their anthill. At the same time, they bite through the skin with their powerful jaw-mandibles and injecting poison into the wound.

The family structure of red forest protectors is common for this type of insect. It contains working ants, a uterus and brood. Workers perform the following functions:

• anthill protection;
• care for young people;
• collection and extraction of food.

The female is exclusively engaged in the reproduction of offspring. The brood consists of eggs, larvae and pupae.

Black garden

Black ants are another typical inhabitant of a temperate forest. Sometimes they are also called garden for the love of fruit plantations. Often this species is placed in the ranks of pests, as they contribute to damage to the crop by growing aphids in their favorite garden areas.

Outwardly, black ants are small compared to the red-haired compatriot. The maximum length of their body rarely reaches 5 mm. They got their name for the dark brown, almost black color of the skin, and unlike the red ants, they have a uniform color throughout the body and are covered with hairs.

These babies arrange their anthill right on the ground, tearing out an extensive system of moves under its surface and throwing the earth out. From above, such a dwelling resembles a loose mound, however, if you dig it, then inside you will find insects, larvae and their eggs. Often a nest of garden ants can be found in the following places:

• rotten wood of trees;
• under the stones;
• foundation of farm buildings;
• asphalt paved garden paths.

They feed on aphid secretions, which they carefully care for, like dairy cows. The family structure is similar to the red forest ant.

Interesting fact! Garden ants can be called real breeders. They not only look after their “cows” - aphids, protecting them from predators, but also transfer them from place to place in search of more fertile lands.In case of bad weather, they hide their "livestock" in the anthill.

New World Ants

Species of ants living in the New World countries located on the American continent are more numerous. However, we will consider only a few, the most interesting of them.

Leaf Cutters

Leaf cutter ants are the most amazing representatives of their family. They adapted to grow mushrooms, whose mycelium is then eaten.

Leaf cutters have a body length of 5 mm to 2 cm. This scatter is due to the specifics of their type of activity. Body color is light brown or reddish brown. A large head with respect to other parts of the body is equipped with strong, curved jaw-like hooks. With their help, leaf cutters gnaw pieces from the dense leathery leaves of tropical trees. The paws are long enough, adapted to run fast. There are tenacious hooks at the ends of the limbs that help insects climb the trunk and branches.

Leaf cutter ants got their name because they gnawed small pieces from the leaves of the trees and turned their crown into a continuous hole lace. Interestingly, they do this by no means from hunger and not from hooligan motives. They need leaves for growing mycelium, which is then eaten by them.

In the family of leaf-cutting mushroom growers there are 7 castes, differing in size and occupation:

• the soldiers
• foragers
• gardeners
• builders
• small workers
• males
• uterus.

Soldiers are the largest of the working ants. They deal exclusively with the protection of the anthill. Foragers are the second largest body. They harvest leaves for mycelium. Gardeners look after mycelium, chew pieces of plant material and moisten them with their saliva. Builders monitor the condition of the anthill. They are engaged in ongoing repairs and expand it. Small worker ants take care of growing young. Males and females are exclusively engaged in procreation.

Interesting fact! Leafcutter saliva contains an antibiotic that helps inhibit the growth of pathogens in the mycelium.

Red fire ants

Red, or, as they are also called, fire ants, are one of the most dangerous and aggressive types of insects. About 3 dozen people die every year in America through their fault. Outwardly, these are rather small insects from 2 to 4 mm in length with a reddish-brown body color. Bites of this species are very painful and can cause severe allergic reactions, up to anaphylactic shock and death.

In the wild, they build their anthills on the ground, forming high mounds from lumps of soil thrown to the surface. In dwellings and in the conditions of the city, they climb into electrical installations, traffic lights, household appliances. Sometimes at the same time they become the culprits of fires, gnawing the insulation winding and causing a short circuit with their bodies.

The main difference between the family of red ants and forest redheads is a few females in the colony. This feature ensures the rapid reproduction and distribution of this species of insects.

You can learn about the amazing life of leaf cutter ants from this video: