Choices! What will it be? #28: ANTS

Introduction

When I saw the “ant” image, the first thing that came to mind was the cartoon “ANTZ”. That cartoon gives us a vivid illustration about the social colonies and the industrious behaviors of ants. So just sit down and relax, while I delve into some interesting fact you don’t know about ants…

Evolution of ants

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Let me take you down memory lane!!
Do you know that “wasp” is the great great grand parents of ants. They evolved from a lineage within the stinging wasps. And as time went by, these wasps began to evolve into social insects. Which means they learn to work together and help each other. As a result of that, these wasps became very specialized in their division of labor, with some laying eggs (Queen), some finding food (workers) and some protecting the colony from predators ( soldiers). These wasps were actually the first species of ants. They were so successful that they lived everywhere in the world establishing colonies from desert to forest even in cities.

They come in different species. Let’s say over 12000 species. These different ant species is as a result of the adaptation to there different environments. Some adapted to terrestrial environments, while others developed unique foraging and nesting strategies. But I can’t say for Antarctica, if any ants exist there because the environment is not even friendly for humans talk more of ants. Ants also communicate with a chemical called pheromones and this is one significant part of there evolution.

So, the next time you wash the movie “ant man and the wasp” have it at the back of your mind that there is a long relationship between these two insects that dates decades ago!!!

Division of Ants
Back in business school, we learnt about division of labor and specialization and how it’s applicable in workplace . This time, I’ll be relating this same skills with the ants and how it’s been applicable in their colony.

• Like in every castle, there is always a king queen and subjects!! Same way it is in the ant colony. But in this case, the Queen is head and mother ant. she is the most fertile ant and can produce millions of eggs during her lifespan for the survival of the colony.

• The male ant, is the bad ass ants with wings and the sole purpose is to mate with the queen ant. But after that few moments of fun and enjoyment with the Queen, they die!! Leaving mother ant, heart broken 💔 😭😭

• The workers are more or less, the subject of the colony. They are responsible for finding food, taking care of the young ants, and defending the nest.

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Diversity of ants:

Like I mentioned above, we’ve over 12000 species of ants all over the world and have survived this long because of the way they adapt to their environment easily. You see them in forest, deserts and even in our cities building there nest. In as much as we try to exterminate them all the time, they play a major role in our ecosystem like controlling pest, aerating soil and help decompose dead plants and animals. You find ants more in a humid and warm environment.

Morphology of ants

If you are not a good biology student and you hear the term “morphology” for the first time, I know you will be confused like me. “Morphology” simply put is the branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of animals and plants. So, in this context, we’ll be talking about the body part of ants.

Ants is made up of three main parts and they include:

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• The head; which includes the antenna, which they use in sensing danger around its environment. The mandible (the mouth) which they use to carry food and for defense. Eyes for seeing and the brains. All this made up its sensory organs .
• The thorax; the center part of the body. It contains the legs and wings for movement and climbing of walls. The legs are 6 in number.
• Abdomen ; this is the back part of the body that contains the reproductive, digestive and excretory organs. It also has a defense mechanism called stinger.

LIFE CYCLE OF ANTS

Earlier, I wrote how the male ant mates with the ant queen to produces millions of eggs for the survival of the colony. Now, I’ll be explaining the different stages they go through from eggs till they become matured ants.

• Egg stage: the queen lays the eggs which is white in color and are very tiny. Eggs are kept in a warm place and are protected by the Queen. The egg hatching depends on the species.

• Larva: at this stage, the eggs have developed to larva and they are worm like. The working ants feeds them lots of food in order for them to develop rapidly to pupa stage.

• Pupa: in this stage, they rest a lot and hardly move about because they are in a protective cocoon.

• Adult ants. At the stage, it takes several weeks for the pupa to metamorphose into adult ants. Once it is now an adult ant, the ants takes its various roles in the colony.

Relationship between ants and humans

• Some ants are regarded as pest because they attack homes, foodstuffs, gardens in search of foods. They are attracted to sweet things, food crumbs etc.

• They play major role is soil aeration and help in decomposition of plants and animals

• In some countries, people eat ants as a form of native medicine or as food

Applying ant Social Behaviors to Human Life and Society

• Ants are very unique social insects and as humans we can learn a lot from them because they are very hard working. They work to survive and provide food for their eggs.

• No ant ever work in isolation. They always work as a group and are masters in teamwork. Humans can learn from ants the importance of collaboration in order to achieve the goals set before them.

• Ants have division of labor with a specific role. We can see that in the duty of the queens, workers and soldiers. As humans, we should learn to assign jobs to people that are specialized in that field.

• Ants are intelligent creatures that knows how to manage food. In dry season, they go out to look for food and store them in times of rainy season. As humans we should learn to adopt this practice in our life, family and country. There are people that are so good at wasting forgetting that nothing last forever. They keep spending on irrelevant things. Such person should learn from the ant.

• Ants are very adaptive insects and that has made them survive this long. That’s why you can find them in any environment. Some humans are too rigid and that is why they find it hard to succeed in some kind of work environment. For example, a man born in 40’s will prefer to use a type writing machine than to use a computer. They find it hard to adapt to their environment, thereby making them obsolete. Humans should learn to adapt for growth in all areas of their life.

• You see different species of ants living together in peace in order to achieve their goals. Humans can learn from the ants by putting sentiments aside and embracing diversity in culture in order to achieve a goal.

I hope you have learnt a thing or more from this unique creatures called ANTS!!

I will be inviting @goodybest and @adeaze to join this contest!!

References: Wikipedia