Ants are the closest relatives of bees and wasps, but not all representatives of the species possess toxic glands. These insects are considered dominant, as they are capable of cooperation. Only in warm countries, there are about 20 million individuals. And around the world there are more than 10 thousand species that live everywhere except Antarctica and the Far North.
It is believed that these insects live on planet Earth for more than 130 million years. But the question remains interesting: how many years have ants lived - 12 or 6 years, or several months? In fact, everything depends on the region of residence and the role played in the general hierarchy.
Impact of Specialization
Ants are distinguished by excellent organization, they maintain order in everything and always. Each insect has its own specific role in society. Some feed the young, others produce offspring, still others guard the territories, and the fourth are involved in maintenance, construction and repair.
How many years have ants lived? The most unenviable role is assigned to males. After fertilization of the female, they live only a few weeks. Then working individuals die or are killed, thus getting rid of parasites.
Uterus or queen
How many years has the ant queen lived ? A question that is difficult to answer. Almost everything depends on the type of insect. There are individuals who manage to live up to 25 years. In particular, the female carpenter survives to so many years. However, the most common ants in our region cannot boast a long life. Queens of this species live only 2 years, and then, if there are favorable conditions. Red uterine ants (wildlife) can live up to 10 years.
At the same time, not everything depends on the weather and the amount of food. Worker ants can kill the queen in two cases:
- if she gives few offspring;
- became superfluous in the anthill.
Also, the presence of several queen bees is typical for the insect community, which in the future can create their own colony, separating from the previous one. For this reason, if insects appear in the house, then it is very difficult to get rid of them. Uterus that live on farms, usually produce reapers and forest ants, can live up to 20 or even 25 years.
Different types of life
How many years have ants lived in nature? First of all, insects that live in areas with a cold climate live more than those that live in the tropics. The development of larvae in ants living beyond the Arctic Circle lasts much longer, up to several years. At the same time, the life of an ant living in the north, although longer, but for about 9 months they are in hibernation, when their vital activity is almost completely stopped. That is, if we compare the actual period of active life in the northern and tropical ant, we get a 3: 1 correspondence.
Red forest ants can live up to 5 years, but this happens very rarely, because not only birds hunt them, but also a number of small rodents. Bulldog ants can live up to 5 years. And how many years have parasitic ants lived? Just a few weeks.
Pharaoh ants in our country do not live in nature, only in an apartment, as they are representatives of tropical territories. Males of this species do not live for more than 2 months, producers reach only 20 days. Females are slightly larger - about 9 months.
The average duration of a garden ant is 3 years. However, the anthill is updated annually. How many years the ants live in this case, it all depends entirely on the caste and weather conditions, but not on the fact that the ant hill has been updated. At the same time, in this species, as in pharaoh ants, individuals can build a career, first look after the larvae, and in the end, engage in providing food. Accordingly, it is possible that some ant will live longer than his brother if he builds a career.
Meadow ants, which are known to us by their characteristic villi, can live 5 years. But, as a rule, few manage to survive to such an age, especially those individuals who go outside. They are often attacked by other animals, and they are often injured. By the way, the uterus of this species flies out of the anthill twice a year for fertilization.
Ant farm and life span
How many years have ants lived in formicaria? Life expectancy in individuals living in artificial conditions is not much different from those that live in nature. Naturally, much depends on the skill of the breeder, but beginners usually make many mistakes, which leads to the death of the entire colony.
In wildlife, much depends on workers, who, in essence, regulate the amount of food and its quality, respectively, regulate the birth rate of a particular caste. As a rule, it is the death of the queen in formicaria that leads to the death of the entire colony. Ants fail to re-educate the queen. Breeding artificially ants, in no case can not mix different species in one colony. No species will tolerate the presence of another; they will surely destroy each other.
Record life
How many years have ants lived in nature? The longest life span of tropical ants. Their uterus can live up to 25 years, in particular with a bulldog ant. And the workers live up to 5 years.
African and Asian ants, also called nomadic, live much less. But in this species, females can reach 5 centimeters. And the uterus lays about 2 eggs in one second.
Finally
An additional factor affecting the life of ants is the presence or absence of a person’s economic activity near the place of residence. Many colonies die because of spraying fields or deforestation. A striking example of the positive impact of ants on the ecosystem is their destruction of harmful insects in pine forests. Ants appear exactly where there is a massive outbreak of pests.