О жизни этих насекомых еще до недавнего времени not so much was known. In antiquity, ants in some countries served as an object of worship, and it is no coincidence: these creatures are one of the oldest insect species on Earth. During the excavations, fossils of these arthropods, dating back more than one hundred million years, were found! And today, scientists who study the world of insects for certain know both all stages of ant development, and the life expectancy of various individuals, and the strict hierarchy that exists inside an anthill. And still do not cease to be surprised.
In the anthill life rages and constantlyupdated. Like any insect, this nurse of the forest in its life passes through a series of transformations. Moreover, the stages of his life significantly differ functionally and externally. There are four stages of ant development:
That is, all species of ants belong to insects with a full cycle of transformation, which is called holometabolia. As a rule, in most species, the entire development process takes about a month.
The life of every insect begins with an egg.At this stage of ant development, the female (womb) lays eggs. They are small (about a millimeter in length), oval-shaped, yellowish or whitish. They are taken care of by working ants: they sort the brood, find optimal conditions for the larvae to develop from the eggs. Usually, eggs are not stored alone, but in whole small packets. So the incubation period lasts.
At the end of the eggs come to lightworm-like larvae, not too similar to adult individuals. Initially, the larvae can also be located together in batches. After more adults - already separately. At this stage of the ant's development stage (photo below), the future nutrition of the arthropods is enhanced. The working ants feed the larvae again, delivering food abundantly and on time. It is characteristic that during the entire stage the larva does not emit excrement, and defecation occurs only during pupation.
Stages of ant development:egg, larva, adult insect. But between the second and last stage there is also a pupal stage (in some insects it is absent - this is called “incomplete transformation”). The larva, which ceases to exercise food, secretes feces (meconium), weaves a cocoon. By the way, the subfamilies of these insects are known, in which the larvae of cocoons do not weave.
An adult ant (imago) leaves the cocoon infinal of its development. Scientists have learned that the young individuals are pulled out of the shell by their relatives - working ants, since they cannot open the cocoon on their own. At the beginning of the path, an adult ant has a lighter color, and after a few days already acquires a body color that is indistinguishable from the rest. Since then, the working ant does not grow, but feeds mainly on carbohydrate food. So end the stage of development of the ant.
There are three categories in any anthill.insects: uterus, male drones and working ants. Males appear from eggs that have not been fertilized. Their main role is participation in reproduction and fertilization. For mating flight, they need wings. They differ from working ants in body size.
Workers ants - the basis of the power of the anthill. They bear all the economic duties of the colony.
The uterus compared with the worker ant is a real onehulk She first has wings, and then, after mating flight and fertilization, they bite off, becoming "non-flying." Her whole life is devoted to laying eggs and procreation. "Ant's queens" (womb) under favorable conditions can live up to 5 years (in some species and longer). While a working ant lives only a few months (in some species - a few years). Male drones live less: mating, die, or are being destroyed by other relatives ants.
While working on the theme “Stages of ant development”(env. world, cf. school) should pay attention to the fact that in the life of an ant there are 4 periods (and not three, like some other insects). We tell about each of them in more detail using photos and slides. You can pick up a video about life in an anthill.
