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Myrmecia - primitive, semiclaustral nest founding
queen hunts like wingless solitary wasp to feed first brood
workers also hunt alone
higher ants - claustral nest founding
queen feeds first brood on fat body and wing muscles
workers may forage cooperatively
mass nuptial flights; queens found new colonies (usually)
some colonies reproduce by fissioning - army ants
some species have multiple queens - fire ants
workers may also lay eggs in some forms
Fungus growing - Attini; Atta colonies convert huge amounts of fresh vegetation into fungus
Swarm raiding, army ants & driver ants - Dorylinae and Ecitoninae
Herding of aphids, treehoppers etc.
Several genera depend largely on these symbionts
keep treehopper nymphs in nest overwinter
Diabolus cuspidatus (Maylasia) move pseudococcids between feeding sites and nests in a shifting pattern
Social parasitism
temporary parasites - queens take over nest of another species
dulosis - workers raid other nests for pupae that become slave workers
inqulinism - few or no workers, queen lives in nest of another species
As much as 20% of animal biomass in tropical forests
Range from arctic circle to Tierra del Fuego: four genera, including Camponotus and Pheidole occupy almost whole range
Genera long-lived in geologic record - back to Cretaceous
Ants first group of eusocial predatory insects to occupy litter & soil as habitat
Cooperative organization of colonies
workers can forage alone or recruit nestmates with chemical signals
trail and alarm pheromones
workers can specialize on one step in a complex task
trophallaxis insures all workers fed on available resources
Anatomical specialization
mandibles may be modified into special tools
lack of wings facilitates occupation of soil
metapleural gland secretes substances that may help suppress microbes
useful in soil/litter
unique in ants
secondarily lost in some arboreal groups
Ants share success of other advanced eusocial groups - bees, wasps, termites together may comprise 75% of insect biomass in Amazon forest