This article is all about honey ants. The lifecycle, interesting facts and usefulness of honey ants will be covered. So If you come here to know about honey ants just continue reading.
Honey Ants
Table of Contents
This was sent to me by one of the greatest web designers in the world. He’s written a book, Honeys vs People. I’ve reviewed the book and liked it very much. He’s an expert in the design and web development field. He has such an extraordinary mind. I love him very much. Honey ants are one of the most famous insects of the planet. Though there are many types of ants and there are also different species. According to experts, their species are divided into a few groups. Ant Production: Some ants belong to the group called Pseudomyrmex, such as Stenocara or Myrmeleon, and others belong to the group Antillus, such as Bacteriodes or Myrmecochilus, but I don’t have much information on this subject.
Lifecycle
Honey ant queens live for just 1-3 years, with an average lifespan of 2 years. It is just normal for some queens to live for a bit more time than that. For a queen that emerges from a pupa, about half a year is a very short span of time. Although many research claims that these ant queens can live for up to 8 years or more. But, there are hardly any verified reports that supports the claim that honey ants queens can live for more than 8 years. Young, Orphaned, Incomplete Nests Honey ant queens do not mate. So, no male honey ant visits the nest. Once the queen begins to lay eggs, the egg-laying process is very fast. This quick egg laying process is possible because honey ants queens live a sheltered life inside a nest.
Interesting Facts
Honey ants are special ants as they can reproduce asexually. Their ant colonies are divided into “sweatlets” which are small groups of ants where adult ants are born and then they hatch into small soft bodies. The workers are collectively referred to as “pupae” The eggs of honey ants are coated in a wax and carried to the nest on the workers’ back. They are very tiny, up to 0.6 mm. Male honey ants are much larger, they usually measure up to 2.5 cm They spend much of their time looking for aphids which they feed on. The workers of the colony mostly live outside the nest as they do not have the capacity to carry the eggs and pupae with them.
Uses
Honey ants are the most widespread ants found on Earth. Their population is approximately twice that of all the other known ants. They are round shaped and golden colored. They have one of the most diverse diet that can feed them almost anything from seeds to bananas. There are three classes of honey ant, viz. First Class: Male Second Class: Female Third Class: Baby Class The European Honey ant, a staple food item and source of food for native species. It is important for the ecosystem and crops and is also responsible for honey production. They are mostly used as honey extractors for use in producing honey. The history of honey harvesting has bee in existence since 5000 years.
Conclusion
Did you ever had the pleasure of seeing these ants in your house? If you have and if you liked them , then there is no chance you will not like honey ants. These little creatures do a lot for us and the results will amaze you.
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