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 more than 4,500 subspecies. But this figure is not final and is constantly growing. Given how many species of ants exist on the whole earth, many are interested to know which of them are found on the territory of Russia.
General acquaintance with ants
From a biological point of view, ants are hymenopterans. Their size can be different, depending on the type. These are social insects that live in colonies. They build their anthills from small particles in the soil or in the wood. These families are well organized and have high-quality communication systems so that all their actions are coherent. Interestingly, some species of ants communicate in their own language, through which they transmit complex information. Most of them have a symbiotic relationship with some insects, plants, fungi, and bacteria.
Each member of the colony knows its place and clearly fulfills its role.
- Females. These are the founders of the anthill. In most colonies, there is only one female. She lays her eggs so that her anthill constantly grows and replenishes.
- Males. They are needed to fertilize females.
- Working individuals. Thanks to them, the anthill lives on. 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, and working ants do not have them. Also, some species of ants have a sting.
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 from 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 the construction and production of food. After enough working ants appear, the female only deals with laying eggs, and the colony takes care of the larvae (white helpless worms). After five links, pupae are formed that cease to feed. Out of them come adult females and working individuals. This process lasts the entire growing season. Males are reborn only in the spring.
The main diet is plant juice from aphid secretions. But at the moment when they take 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 external characteristics. Each of them has its own differences in behavior and lifestyle. Therefore, if you learn more 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 species 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, pharaohs, domestic, termites, leaf cutters and others. Consider some types of ants. Photos for some insects will be attached.
Red forest
This species for its habitat chooses mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests that are over 40 years old. Females and workers are reddish brown. Their length is approximately 7-14 mm. The head of this ant has an oblong shape, and the body is dense. Males are black in color, with reddish or yellowish paws. Their families are single, divided into three castes. One nest can number from 800 thousand to 1 million individuals. From May to the end of June, flights for mating begin. Surprisingly, only working individuals, or males or females, emerge from eggs. It all depends on the needs of the family.
This species of ants can harm fruit trees due to the fact that they plant aphids. But at the same time, they also benefit gardens. These insects destroy many pests that damage crops. In this case, ants pay special attention to those insects in which mass reproduction begins. It was estimated that in a large anthill, these insects in one day can bring up to 21 thousand pupae of pests. Therefore, one such anthill is able to protect about a hectare of coniferous forest.
Meadow ant
Another species common in Russia is the meadow. The size of this insect varies between 5-11 mm. In meadow ants, the body is covered with villi, and in front of the breast there is a dark spot. To build a house, they choose meadows, open edges and clearings. This species also breeds aphids. From the anthill to their “pastures”, in-depth paths are laid, over which canopies are made. Ants have been walking along these paths for years. In addition to aphid secretions, these species of ants feed on dead insects. It is very rare to 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 in the world, but of all of them only these make flights 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 tombs on mummies. Then Karl Linney described them and gave them a name. It happened in 1758. The small size helped these babies spread all over the earth. In Russia, they were spotted in 1889. Thus, these species of ants gained fame. In the world they are found in 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 hardworking, and in the north side they live exclusively in human homes. They prefer darkness and moisture, so they are more often found in 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 breeding, and after fertilization, working individuals bite off the wings of the uterus. In just a year, the family grows into 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 in one place there can be more than one female. Interestingly, bed bugs cannot get along with these inhabitants, since the acids that come from pharaoh ants are deadly for these bed pests.
House ant
These representatives also belong to the smallest, their size ranges from 1 to 3 mm. The female and male are of a dark brown tone, 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 with other anthills. At the same time, they steal their larvae and eggs in order to feed themselves. They can be met in
central Russia, as well as on the southern side of the European part of the country.
Black ant
This species is also one of the most common and often lives in human homes. Their color is usually black, but it is dark brown. The whole body of the insect is covered with small villi. Usually anthills are built in the soil, and on top there is a mound. They can also build their homes in wood and under boulders. Sometimes you can meet a black ant of a larger size - in this case, you stumbled upon another representative, he is called a reaper. This species is known for its penchant for huge reserves in the anthill. They can collect about a kilogram of seeds and insects to successfully spend the winter. Interestingly, unlike other ants, they feed their larvae with plant foods, not insects.
But this does not end the species of ants that are found in Russia. For example, many people know woodworms who run along branches and collect honey dew on leaves, and establish their colonies in stumps or under the bark, gnawing moves. Also on the territory of the country there are some species of "Amazons" that do not give birth to individuals, but steal larvae from more peaceful ants. The babies who are born think that the Amazons are their parents and begin to do all the "dirty" work for them.
The most dangerous types of ants: names and description
There are two types of these insects that inspire particular fear in humans. But they are not found in Russia. These are the bullet and soldier ants (also known as nomadic ants). The first species is found in forests stretching from Paraguay to Nicaragua. The length of his body is 2.5 centimeters. He arranges his anthill on a tree. Passing under it, you can get caught by this ant, which courageously jumps on a person in order to protect his colony from the enemy. These insects are able to scream and, before attacking, he makes a call. It is called a "bullet" for a reason. His bite is as piercing and painful as a bullet wound.
Soldier ant
This is the second dangerous arthropod. Mostly he lives in the Amazon, but his families can be found in Asia and Africa. These are large individuals, reaching 1.5 cm. They are also equipped with large mandibles (approximately 7-8 mm). These ants do not have a permanent anthill. They always wander, making a halt only for that short 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 their journey. The worst thing is that they destroy everything living on their way - insects, small and large animals - all those who did not want to hide or fell asleep. Hundreds of thousands of powerful soldiers cover a careless victim like a wave. These ants are absolutely blind, therefore they regard everything as a threat to their colony. That is why they are not afraid of the size of animals.
These ants are an unusually united people. If necessary, they can create from their bodies absolutely any figure. For example, they make bridges so that the colony overcomes an obstacle, or walls from weather. To do this, they firmly cling to each other.
Enemies of ants
As we saw, different types of ants have their own internal structure, which protects them and allows colonies to exist. But these insects also have enemies who like to feast on them. One of the largest ant pests is the bear. He regularly ruins anthills, lowering his paws there. Ants "stick around" them, and the bear licks a treat. Moles and frogs also like to eat these insects, which will not let the baby run past. In addition, many people know the animal, which is called "anteater." He has a specially adapted muzzle in order to get into the homes of insects. In addition, they are not afraid of their bites, because the coat is so stiff and thick that even small ants are not able to get through it. The meat of this animal smells very like these insects and has a black color. But these are not the only enemies of ants, since they are hunted not only by mammals, but birds and even fish.