【Distribution】In addition to the Antarctic, the distribution of antes has been found on all continents on Earth. Most species are found in the tropics. In the Amazon rainforest, the species diversity of the ant is probably the most abundant. So far, more than 2,000 species of antes have been found in the Amazon basin alone. In some cold, cool and arid regions, there is also a distribution of ants.
Feeding habits Some species of antes are plant-feeding, feeding on plant leaves, flowers, skins and seeds. But many species are purely predatory, and they can prey on other insects, snails, other arthropods, and even some small vertebrates, such as small snakes and lizards. Some local species are considered by the locals to be pests that can be harmful to economic value. However, the vast majority of species of antes, their population density and population number in nature will remain at a very low level, generally do not lead to significant economic losses. Experienced entomologists can judge the diet and feeding materials of different species of insects by observing the differences in the morphological structure of the head and mouthparts of different species. Large species of antes will bite, causing a little pain, but will not cause skin breakage. Some people eat antes, such as some tribes in Uganda.
[Song (friction sound)] At the posterior horn of the forewing of the male ant, there is a vocal organ. In some species of female insects, the forewings also rub against each other. But the females make calls in response to the males, while the males' calls are mainly for courtship and deterrence from competitors. There are filed or comb-like protrusions distributed on the hard ridge of one forewing, while the horns of the other forewings have a note or scrape. The two wings rub against each other and cause vibrations, resulting in different chirps. The sound of the forewings of the ant is a vibrato, and the nature of the sound is affected by the size of the insect body, the morphology and structure of the friction and pronunciation organ, etc., which varies from species to species.
The speed of sound of many ant chirps has a significant correlation with the temperature of the surrounding environment. From the number of chirps emitted in a certain period of time, the ambient temperature at this time can be inferred. For example, the ambient temperature (F°, Fahrenheit) is about equal to the number of tweets in 15 seconds plus 37.
[Predation] Some species of ant have spines in different parts of the body, and their functions are multifaceted. The insects of the Listroscelinae subfamily have limb-like spines on the ventral surface of their bodies, and they can form a small cage during predation activities, enclosing their prey and feeding slowly by the mouthparts. The spines on the body are connected to the body through joints like appendages, but the apex is blunt, and it only serves as a captive prey in predation activities, not to assassinate prey. On the tibial and leg segments, the spines, sharp at the ends, have no joints at the junction with the feet, they are fixed on the feet and cannot move freely, and their main function is to assassinate prey or for defense.
Mimics are leafy antes
【Defense】The ant that rests in the habitat during the day always uses defensive posture and camouflage strategy to the greatest extent. For example, they can expose spines, pretend to be dead, or mimic themselves as the leaves of plants, etc., in order to defend against or deceive predators who come to hunt. The inside of some compound wings (forewings) of some ants is very bright, or has some dark spots, and the hindwings are also very bright. When predators invade, they suddenly spread their wings, revealing black spots on the inside of the compound wings, like a pair of eyes, making a threatening gesture in an attempt to scare the predator away.
The eggs of a species of ant stick to the stem of a plant in rows
【Life cycle】The lifespan of the ant is about 1 year, and the adults are stunted. Most females begin laying eggs in late summer, mostly in the soil or on the stems of plants. If the eggs are laid on the branches of the plant, the eggs are often arranged in rows and the eggs are oval in shape. Some female ant-laying products are sickle-shaped, and some are long tubes. Most hatched nymphs resemble adults, but some species of young nymphs are not at all like adults, mimicking spiders, stinging bugs, and flower shapes, a camouflage strategy to prevent predation. These species of nymphs must grow to an age when they will evade predators before becoming adults, otherwise they remain mimetic. Nymphs molt about 5 to 6 times to become adults, after the last molt, the wings and genitals are fully formed, officially entering the reproductive period, ready to mate and lay eggs.
【Mating behavior】When the ant mates, the male sends spermatophore into the female genitalia, and the sperm is released from the sperm pericardium into the fallopian tubes. Emptied sperm packets can be eaten by females, and many species of insects have this behavior. However, while providing sperm packets to females, the males also offer an additional bride price or nuptial gift. This dowry is called spermatophylax, which is connected to the spermatox and is the nutrient given to the female by the male. Feeding on spermats can obtain more nutrients, and the production of females and the quality of eggs will be significantly improved. When the female is looking for a mate, she will judge the health of the male and the possible size of its seminal appendage based on the male's song. It can produce a loud and smooth vibrato, which generally indicates that the male can provide more nutrients. Antes are multi-formulated insects, and an individual can marry multiple opposite-sex mates. This marriage system intensifies competition between males. There is a type of ant called Platycleis affinis, or tuberous bush cricket (meaning "tuber-shaped ant" in English), which is the largest male testicle among animals found so far, and the mass of its testicles can account for 14% of the total body mass. Although the amount of sperm provided at each mating is small, the speed at which recrossing is resumed is fast.
【Classification】 Antsko is a big family, and 6400 species of antes have been spoken around the world. There are 20 subfamilys under the antsko, which are as follows:
1. [Subfamily I] Austrosaginae, a subfamily Austrosaginae, mainly distributed in Australia
2. [Subfamily II] Bradyporinae, a subfamily of spiny-necked borers, is mainly distributed in Europe, West Asia and Central Asia
3. [Subfamily III] Conocephalinae
4. [Subfamily IV] Hetrodinae, mainly distributed in Africa
Hexacentrinae, mainly distributed in the pantropical region, especially in Asia
6. [Subfamily VI] Lipotactinae, mainly distributed in Asia
7. [Subfamily VII] The pseudo-weaving subfamily Listroscelidinae, mainly distributed in the Americas, Madagascar and Australia
8. [Subfamily VIII] Meconematinae, subfamily Longline borer
9. [Subfamily 9] Mecopodinae, subfamily Mecopodinae
10. [Subfamily X] Microttigniinae, mainly distributed in Australia
11. [Subfamily XI] Subfamily Phneropterinae
12. [Subfamily XII] Phasmodinae is mainly distributed in Australia
13. [Subfamily XIII] The subfamily Phyllophorinae, mainly distributed in Asia and Australia
14. [Subfamily XIV] Pseudophyllinae of the subfamily Pseudophyllinae
15. [Subfamily XV] Pseudophyllaceae Subfamily Pseudotettigoniinae, extinct
16. [Subfamily XVI] The subfamily Pterochrozinae, mainly distributed in Central and South America
17. [Subfamily XVII] Subfamily Saginae
18. [Subfamily XVIII] Subfamily Tittigoniinae
19. [Subfamily XIX] Tympanophorinae, mainly distributed in Australia
20. [Subfamily XX] Zaprochilinae, mainly distributed in Australia