Four stages of development of the ant: complete transformation

About the life of these insects, until recently, it was not so much known. In ancient times, ants in some countries served as an object of worship, and it is not accidental: these creatures are one of the oldest species of insects that exist on Earth. During the excavations, fossils of these arthropods were found, dating back to the age of more than one hundred million years! And today, scientists who study the world of insects, for certain know and all stages of the development of the ant, and the life expectancy of different individuals, and a strict hierarchy that exists inside the anthill. And still do not cease to be surprised.

Complete transformation

In the anthill, life boils and is constantly renewed. Like every insect, this sanitary man in his life goes through a series of transformations. And the stages of his life are significantly different functionally and externally. There are four stages of development of an ant:

• egg;
• larva;
• Pupa;
• Adult animal (imago).

That is, all varieties of ants are insects with a complete cycle of transformation, which is called holometaboliey. As a rule, in most species the entire development process takes about a month.

Stage of development of the ant: egg, larva

The life of every insect begins with an egg. At this stage of development of the ant, the female (uterus) lays eggs. They are small (about a millimeter in length), oval in shape, yellowish or whitish in color. They are taken care of by working ants: they sort the brood, find optimal conditions for the development of larvae from eggs. Usually eggs are not kept one by one, but whole small bags. So the incubation period lasts.

At its end, vermicular larvae, not too similar to adults, come out of the eggs. Initially, the larvae can also be located together, in batches. After more adults - already separately. At this stage of the stage of development of the ant (photo - below), there is an enhanced nutrition of the future arthropod. Feed larvae again working ants, abundantly and in time delivering food. It is characteristic that throughout the entire stage the larva does not excrete excreta, and defecation occurs only when pupating.

Pupa

Stages of development of the ant: an egg, a larva, an adult insect. But between the second and last stage there is also the stage of the pupa (in some insects it is absent - this is called "incomplete transformation"). The larva, ceasing to carry out nutrition, allocates feces (meconium), weaves a cocoon. By the way, there are known subfamilies of these insects, in which the larvae of cocoons do not weave.

Adult specimen

The adult ant (imago) emerges from the cocoon in the final of its development. Scientists learned that the young specimen is pulled from the shell by relatives - working ants, since it can not open the cocoon by itself. At the beginning of the journey, the adult ant has a lighter color, and after a few days already acquires the color of the body, indistinguishable from the rest. Since then, the working ant does not grow, but feeds mainly on carbohydrate food. So the stages of development of an ant are completed.

Hierarchy

In any anthill, there are three categories of insects: the uterus, male drones and worker ants. Males appear from eggs that have not undergone fertilization. Their main role is participation in reproduction and fertilization. For weddings, they need wings. They differ from working ants by the size of the body.

Working ants are the basis of the power of an anthill. All the economic duties of the colony lie on them.

The uterus, in comparison with the working ant, is a huge hulk. She initially has wings, and then, after the marriage flight and fertilization, they bite off, becoming "non-flying". All her further life is devoted to laying eggs and procreation. "Ant queens" (uterus) under favorable conditions can live up to 5 years (in some species and longer). While a working ant lives only a few months (some species have several years). Male drones live less: they mate, die, or they are destroyed by other ants-congeners.

Theme at school

When studying the theme "Stages of development of an ant" (around the world, compare the school), it should be noted that there are 4 periods in the life of the ant (and not three, as in some other insects). About each of them we tell in more detail, using photos and slides. You can choose a video about life in an anthill.

Some interesting facts

• Some of the species of these arthropods can be under water without access to air for 4 days, as if in a canned state. Extracted from the liquid, they again come to life and continue to exist.
• The legs of the ant (their 6, and on each - 3 joints) are very strong. They are as if designed by nature for hard work and moving loads. By the way, if this insect were growth from people, then it would be able to run at a speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour in proportion to physical data and lift cargoes of one and a half tons!
• Ants, according to some researchers, have a collective mind, and the total number of their brain cells (for a single anthill) is comparable to the number of such cells in humans.