What Are Ants' Body Parts?

Head Area

• An ant's head is rounded and oblong. On the head, two eyes can be found. Eye size varies between ant species, but all ant eyes are compound, or have many lens. Some ant species also have three small dots at the top of their heads that act something like extra eyes. These dots, called ocelli, can detect light. The mandibles can also be found on the ant's head. These are pincer-like protrusions that arc down from the ant's mouth. They can be used like hands, allowing the ant to perform a variety of tasks. They can also be used to bite. The ant has two antennae. Each antenna helps the ant navigate by the senses of smell, feel and taste, and each antenna has a joint in the middle that allows it to bend. Like all parts of the ant's body, the head is covered by a hard protective layer called an exoskeleton. Aside from protecting the ant, the exoskeleton also prevents water loss and gives support to the body, as a mammal's skeleton would.

Upper Body

• An ant's upper body is also known as the mesosoma region. This region contains both the thorax and the upper part of the abdomen, which are fused together. The ant's upper body is very thin and muscular, and these muscles work to power the ant's three sets of legs. The mesosoma region is closely followed, closer to the lower body, by a joint called the petiole, which allows the ant to bend its lower body forward or up. Some ant species also have a post-petiole, or second joint, which can be found after the petiole.

Lower Body

• The ant's lower body is known as the gastor region, which is bulbous and often a darker color than the rest of the ant's body. This is where the ant's internal organs, such as heart and digestive tract, are found under the protection of the exoskeleton. At the very tip of the gastor, some ants have a small stinger or an opening through which acid can be sprayed. Other ants may not have either of these defenses.

Legs

• All ants have three sets of legs, projecting from the mesosoma region. Each leg has three joints, and is covered in tiny hairs. These hairs help the ant clean itself, and help it sense the world around it. The legs also have tiny claws at the end, which allow the ants to move quickly or climb.

Wings

• Most ants seen in a natural setting do not have wings. This is because the typical worker ants, which are always female, are not born with wings. However, both queen ants, which are much larger than the other ants in the colony, and male ants have wings, which branch off the mesosoma region. The queen ant's wings are often torn off after mating.