Environment of an Ant

Colonies

• All of the roughly 2,500 species of ant display some degree of social cohesion. Colonies can range in size from as large as half a million members to as few as only a couple of dozen. Generally, there are a few castes within the environment of an ant colony. There are the wingless, infertile females, which are typically workers, as well as the winged males. The winged, fertile female is the queen.

The Queen

• The queen is the leader of the ant colon, and is responsible for the reproduction of the ant colony, being the only fertile female. It is thought that queens control the colony through the use of pheromones, and that much of the social cohesion seen in ant colonies is facilitated by pheromones. An ant that finds food, for example, will leave a pheromone trail from the food back to the colony, which other ants can then follow to the food source.

Underground

• One of the most typical living environments for ants is underground, in tunnels and galleries constructed by the worker caste of the ant colony. Preferred colony spots for ants that live underground are under excavated earth, sand or similar debris. Some species of ants choose to construct hills to tunnel through. Such ant hills can be quite large, up to 5 feet tall.

Other Habitats

• Ants are typically associated with underground tunnels and ant hills, but these are not the only environments that ants live in. Some species may make their homes in the rot of dead wood, in the tissue of living plants, or in nests constructed and attached to twigs or rocks. Some ants also use human constructions, such as homes or ships, to make a home for themselves.