FaunaHub

Ant

InsectSocialInvertebrate

Several red wood ants cooperating to carry prey across the ground.

Red wood ants (Formica rufa) cooperating to carry prey.

Image: Stephan Sprinz, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Ants are social insects in the family Formicidae, part of the order Hymenoptera alongside bees and wasps. There are well over ten thousand described species, found on nearly every land surface on Earth. This page is a group-level overview. Ants live in organised colonies and are among the most abundant and ecologically important insects, with a huge collective influence on soils and ecosystems.

Habitat & Range

Ants occupy an enormous range of habitats — forests, grasslands, deserts, wetlands, gardens, and inside human buildings — on every continent except Antarctica. They nest in soil, leaf litter, rotting wood, plant cavities, and constructed mounds, depending on the species. Some build large, conspicuous nests, while others are tiny and hidden. Habitat varies widely across the family.

Diet

Ants have very varied diets depending on the species. Many are omnivores or scavengers; some are predators; others harvest seeds, tend sap-feeding insects for their sugary honeydew, or even farm fungus, as leafcutter ants do. This dietary flexibility is one reason ants are so successful. Statements about "what ants eat" should be made cautiously because the group is so diverse.

Behavior

Ants live in colonies that usually contain one or more egg-laying queens and many sterile female workers, with males appearing mainly for reproduction. Colonies function with a high degree of cooperation and division of labour, and ants communicate largely through chemical signals called pheromones, for example to mark trails to food. Some species cooperate to carry prey, build nests, or defend the colony. Behaviour varies greatly between species.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Ants are ecologically valuable — aerating soil, dispersing seeds, and controlling other invertebrates — though some species are household or agricultural pests, and certain introduced ants can harm native wildlife. Most ants are common and not of conservation concern, but a minority of specialised species can be vulnerable. Status should be checked against current sources rather than assumed.

Appearance & Recognition

Ants have a distinctive body with a narrow "waist" (one or two small segments) between the thorax and abdomen, elbowed antennae, and strong jaws. Most ants seen day to day are wingless workers, while winged queens and males appear during mating flights. Colour ranges from yellow and red to brown and black, and sizes vary from tiny species a couple of millimetres long to much larger ones. The narrow waist and elbowed antennae help distinguish ants from termites.

Similar Animals

Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera with the bee covered separately on FaunaHub, as well as wasps. They are often confused with termites, but termites are a separate group with straight antennae and a broad-waisted body. Some spiders and other insects mimic ants for protection.

More photos of the ant

A Formica worker ant on a leaf near a small spider.

A Formica worker ant foraging.

Image: gailhampshire, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Ant

How are ant colonies organised?
Most ant colonies have one or more queens that lay eggs, many sterile female workers that forage, build, and care for young, and males that appear mainly to reproduce. The colony works through cooperation and division of labour rather than central control.
How do ants follow each other in lines?
Ants communicate largely with chemicals called pheromones. A foraging ant that finds food can lay a scent trail back to the nest, which other ants follow, reinforcing the trail as long as the food lasts.
What is the difference between ants and termites?
Although both are social insects that can live in large colonies, they are not closely related. Ants have a narrow waist and elbowed antennae, while termites have a broad waist and straight antennae. Termites are more closely related to cockroaches than to ants.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.