Ants Make Their First Appearance
Most people never think twice when they see ants in their day to day lives. They are such a common sight that they are usually walked by without notice, and yet to not notice these little creatures is something of a shame, for they are a fascinating bunch capable of a great many things. We know for example that ants have existed at least since 92 million years ago (long before the dinosaurs went extinct at 65 million years.) At this point seven individuals from four different species were encased in amber in what is known today as New Jersey. In 1998 these little fossils were found by Dr. David Grimaldi of the American Museum of Natural History. These fossils proved important because it revealed that ants are probably considerably older in order to have reached at least four distinct species at the time. It also has revealed that the social structure of ants was in fact around at the time. This likely makes them the first insects to have complex social structures. In essence they were likely the first city builders long before man caught on.
Ants Have 2 Stomachs!
When ants have been observed in the wild, it may sometimes appear that they are kissing each other. Whilst this is a sweet notion, it isn’t actually true! They are actually feeding each other from one of their 2 stomachs. They have 1 stomach which they use to feed themselves, and another which they use to nurture others. The process of ants feeding each other from their second stomach is called trophallaxis and it means that groups of ants can split into 2, with one half staying in the nest and the other going out to forage for food.
Long live the queen!
Generally, each ant colony has only one queen. She spends her life laying eggs. There are also female worker bees that do not reproduce, instead carrying out a number of other tasks: foraging for food, caring for the queen and her brood, building galleries, maintaining the nest and defending the anthill. The only purpose that drones serve is to fertilize queens, and they are only found inside the colony for short periods of time. Shortly after mating, they die.
Ants generally mate in the air. The queen’s abdomen contains a small spherical receptacle called a spermatheca, which receives spermatozoa during conception. The spermatheca produces nutrients that keep the semen alive for several years, allowing the queen to lay thousands of eggs without mating with another drone.
Once she is in her new home, the queen lays her first eggs. She cares for the first brood herself, feeding them from her own reserves. The first adult workers are very small. This first generation of workers, and all future generations, are in charge of all the work in the anthill.
