ANT 



272 



ANT 



OUTLINE AND QUESTIONS ON THE ANT 



Outline 



I. Part* of the Ant 



(1) Head 



(a) Lateral eyes 



(b) Ocelli 



(c) Antennae 



(d) Mandibles 



(2) Thorax 



(3) Abdomen 



(4) Legs 



(5) Wings of males and females 



II. Classes of Individuals 



(1) Male 



(a) Usually winged 



(b) Does no work 



(c) Short-lived 



(2) Females 



(a) Largest form 



(b) Winged 



(c) Lays all eggs 



(3) Worker or neuter 



(a) Undeveloped female 



(b) Smallest form 



(c) Most numerous 



(d) Does all work 



(e) Wingless 



III. Rank Among: Insects 



(1) Intelligence 



(2) Adaptability 



(a) To climatic conditions 



(b) To food supply 



(3) Length of life 



IV. Mode of Life 



(1) All species social 



(2) Plant-dwellers 



(a) Nests In dead trees 



(b) Nests in living plants 



(3) Soil-dwellers 



(a) Manner of nest 



1. Galleries 



2. Chambers 



(b) Mating 



(c) Founding new colony 



1. Queen's part 



2. Workers' part 



(d) Regular tasks 



1. Keeping nest clean 



2. Securing food 



3. Feeding young 



4. "Nurse-maids" 



V. Development of Young 



(1) Egg 



(2) Larva 



(3) Pupa 



(4) Young ant 



VI. Choice of Food 



(1) Flesh-eaters 



(2) "Pastoral" ants 



(a) Plant lice kept as "cows" 



( 3 ) Seed-eaters 



( 4 ) Fungus-eaters 



VII. Relation to Man 



(1) Effect on soil 



(2) Help in decomposition of animal mat- 



ter 



(3) Wood-gnawing 



(4) Harm to plants from pastured lice 



(5) Enemies of vermin 



VIII. How to Study Ants 



(1) Making a formicary 



(2) Necessity for darkness 



(3) Furnishing food 



(4) Furnishing "cemeteries" 



(5) Use of magnifying glass 



Questions 



What reason is there for considering the ant as the highest -type among the 

 insects? 



Are there solitary ants, as there are solitary bees? 



What is a jormicarium? 



The first three stages in the life of the race are generally spoken of as the hunting, 

 pastoral and agriculturaf stages. Is there anything in the ant world to correspond to 

 these? 



In what ways does the ant resemble man in its mode of life? 



Why are ant communities more lasting than those of any other insect? 



Is there perfect social equality among ants, or is there always an inferior class? 



