Ant

Ant

Description

Any member of over 8000 species of insect in the Formidicae family. Ants live in organized colonies generally separated into three classes of queens, males, and workers. Ants have a six legs, bent antennae, and a segmented body with large head, thorax, and abdomen. Their life cycle, from egg to adult, is 8 to 10 weeks. Adult worker ants can live up to 7 years. Ants are scavengers and feed on either plant or animal products. Carpenter ants are one of the most damaging species to historic homes. Found in warm, moist climates, they damage wood by hollowing out spaces for nests.

Carpenter ant

Synonyms and Related Terms

carpenter ant (Camponotus spp.)

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Size range: about 2 to 25 millimeters (about 0.08 to 1 inch)
• Color: may be be yellow, red, black, or brown
• Body: head (large), thorax, abdomen (separated from thorax by 1-2 nodes)
• Antenna: bent, usually the outer segments are larger forming a club
• Legs: six, connected to thorax

Additional Images

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  Carpenter ant

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  Carpenter ant

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  Carpenter ant

Resources and Citations

• MuseumPest.net at Link

• Eric H. Smith, Richard C. Whitman, NPMA Field Guide to Sturctural Pests, National Pest Management Association, Fairfax VA, 2005.

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "ant." Accessed 21 Jan. 2005 .

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant (Accessed Jan 2005)