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The ants are one of the most successful groups of insects, and are of interest because they form highly advanced colonies. They are grouped as the family Formicidae in the order Hymenoptera, and are especially close relatives of the Vespid wasps (yellojackets and such), from which they are physiologically distinguished mainly by having elbowed antennae and a bead-like pedicel formed from the first few abdominal segments. Also, most ants are wingless, although this varies between individuals in a colony rather than between species, as discussed below. The first known ants appeared sometime during the later Cretaceous. |
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The ants are one of the most successful groups of insects, and are of interest because they form highly advanced colonies. They are grouped as the family Formicidae in the order Hymenoptera, and are especially close relatives of the Vespid wasps (yellowjackets and such), from which they are physiologically distinguished mainly by having elbowed antennae and a bead-like pedicel formed from the first few abdominal segments. Also, most ants are wingless, although this varies between individuals in a colony rather than between species, as discussed below. The first known ants appeared sometime during the later Cretaceous. |
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Ant communication is primarily through chemicals called pheromones, which because most ants spend their time in direct contact with the ground are more developed than in other Hymenopterans. So for instance when a forager finds food, on his way home (found typically through remembered landmarks and the position of the sun) he will leave a trail along the ground, which in short time other ants will follow. When they return home they will reinforce the trail, bringing other ants, until the food is exhausted, after which the trail is not reinforced and so slowly dissipates. A crushed ant will emit an alarm pheromone that in high concentration sends other ants nearby into an attack frenzy, and in lower concentration attracts them, while a few ants use what are called propaganda pheromones to confuse their enemies. And so forth. |
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Ant communication is primarily through chemicals called pheromones, which because most ants spend their time in direct contact with the ground are more developed than in other Hymenopterans. So for instance when a forager finds food, on his way home (found typically through remembered landmarks and the position of the sun) she will leave a trail along the ground, which in short time other ants will follow. When they return home they will reinforce the trail, bringing other ants, until the food is exhausted, after which the trail is not reinforced and so slowly dissipates. A crushed ant will emit an alarm pheromone that in high concentration sends other ants nearby into an attack frenzy, and in lower concentration attracts them, while a few ants use what are called propaganda pheromones to confuse their enemies. And so forth. |
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Ant is also computer software system, a java-based build system. One of the main differences between Ant and Make? is that Ant is controlled using XML files, where Make has it's own Makefile format. [1] The official website of ant. |
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