Description of the appearance of an ant 3 signs. Interesting facts about ants. Names and types

A message about ants for children will tell you a lot useful information about these hardworking little insects.

About ants for children

Ant: description for children

You will never confuse an ant with other insects. They are very active, wingless, fussy and constantly on the move. In nature, you rarely see a single ant, even when they are away from home. Such insects are called workers. In one nest their number can range from a thousand to a million individuals. An ant family may have one queen or several. The queen is constantly in the nest and does not leave it, since her wings are too weak to fly. She makes only one flight - mating, and then on a warm, windless day.

After fertilization, the males die, and the females sink to the ground and shed their wings. They are looking for a secluded place where they can breed. However, worker ants often discover their hiding place and drag them into their nest. Thus, there can be several queens in one nest.

Where do ants live?

These insects live in nests or anthills. Ant nests are usually connected to the ground. They can be in the form of mounds of soil or made from the remains of vegetation. Such nests are most common. Some insects live without mounds, just in the soil, or they settle under stones or in wood.

How do ants live? Insect feeding

Mostly all ants are predators, feeding their larvae with insects and other animal food. The basis of their diet: caterpillars and larvae. Worker ants also consume flowering vegetation and milk aphids.

Children about an ant: how do they communicate?

To communicate with each other, they use a variety of signals: touching another ant with their feet, antennae or head. They also use chemical signals. If disturbed, the insects take a defensive position: they rise on their hind legs and slightly tilt their abdomen forward. The ant releases a special liquid, which consists of an alarm substance and formic acid.

Ants that live in the same nest have the same smell. In this way, they recognize each other and do not allow other insects into their home.

• Ants are the oldest insects: they are more than 100 million years old. Today they can be found everywhere except Greenland, Iceland and Antarctica.
• The main occupation of the insect is preparing food reserves for winter.
• They only move in formation.
• Some ants are very poisonous. For example, if you are bitten by a Paraponera clavata ant, the pain will last for more than a day.
• Ants are the smartest insects. The brain consists of 250 thousand cells.
• In Mexico, ant eggs are eaten. The dish is called "escamoles".

We hope that the essay about ants helped you prepare for the lesson. And your short story You can leave comments about ants using the comment form below.

It is made from twigs, from pine needles

Will build a real house

No saw and no nails.

Who is the builder?.. Ant.

N. Ivanova

Ants are social insects. They live in families in large anthills. The abdomen of ants is connected to the chest using a thin stalk. They have well-developed upper jaws, which they use both for crushing food and for protection from enemies. Females and worker ants have stingers and poison glands that secrete formic acid.

Ant families consist of castes, each of which performs its own functions. The bulk of the family consists of working individuals. They do everything necessary work in the nest: they build and clean it, get food, take care of the offspring, protect the nest from enemies. Some species have a caste of soldiers - large-headed ants, armed with large jaws and acting as guards. The entire family is produced by a single breeding female founder.

One anthill can contain from several hundred to tens of thousands of individuals. IN warm time year, usually once a year, a mass appearance of winged males and females occurs in the family. The males soon die, and the females shed their wings and begin to found a new nest, in which they lay the first batch of eggs. The female feeds the hatched larvae with nutritious secretions. salivary glands. The larvae turn into pupae, then worker individuals emerge from them, begin to expand the nest, take over protecting the family and feeding new larvae.

Ants eat everything, but they especially love sweets. They even specifically breed aphids and protect them from predators. For them, aphids are like milk cows that supply the ants with sweet, sugary juice.

Today, about 10 thousand species of ants are known. They are distributed on all continents except Antarctica, and are especially numerous in the tropics. More than 200 species live in Russia, about half of them in forests.

MYSTERY

He is a real worker

Very, very hard working.

Under a pine tree in a dense forest

He builds a house from needles.

(Ant) PROVERBS AND SAYINGS

The ant is not big, but it digs mountains.

FOLK SIGNS

If the ants are hiding in a pile - wait strong wind, rain, thunderstorms.

Program content:

Introduce children to the lifestyle of an ant and the structure of an anthill.
Develop thinking.
Foster curiosity, interest in insects, and a desire to learn something new about them.

Equipment:

Pictures depicting an ant, anthill, eggs, larvae, pupae.
Silhouette of an ant cut out of paper (length 33 cm).

Ant

Anthill diagram

Progress of the lesson:

Guys, today we will start our lesson with a quiz.

Didactic game “The Best”

The most cunning animal is... (fox).
The most cowardly animal is... (hare).
The biggest lover of honey is the forest animal... (bear).
The longest neck is ... (giraffe).
The smallest bird is... (hummingbird).
The largest eggs are laid by... (ostrich).
The most hunchbacked inhabitants of the deserts are... (camels).
The smallest horse is ... (pony).
The fastest animal is... (cheetah).
The smartest animals are... (monkeys).
The longest living animal is... (turtle).

Guys, do you know who is the strongest on earth?
No, not an elephant, not a hippopotamus. The strongest on earth is the ant! After all, he can carry weights 10 times heavier than his own weight.

If we imagine that Vanya (the child is called) is an ant, then he can carry 10 children on himself. (10 people are called). Will our Vanya be able to lift and carry all these guys? No. And an ant can carry a load 10 times heavier than itself. The ant, although small, is a real strongman.

Anthill structure

Ants are also excellent builders. What wonderful anthill houses they build! Anthill is multi-storey building with many apartments, warm, cozy, with good ventilation, with storage rooms, with bedrooms, with children's rooms, with a garbage disposal and a toilet. Ants keep their homes perfectly clean.

All entrances and exits allow fresh air to pass deep into the anthill. All these entrances and exits are guarded by soldier ants.

From above, the ants make a covering of needles and twigs on the anthill. It protects the home from the vicissitudes of the weather, and is repaired and updated by working ants.

Under this covering there is a room that warms up well sun rays. Ants come there to bask in the spring.

There is a cemetery room where worker ants carry dead ants and garbage.

There is a special winter bedroom. Adult ants, in cramped conditions, spend the winter in this room without any offense. They close all the passages and exits in the anthill, huddle together in the winter bedroom and fall asleep.

Ants store grains in a grain warehouse.

Ants bring caterpillars and other prey to the meat pantry.

There is a special barn. Of course, it’s not real cows that live in it, but aphids. Aphids are also insects that, to the delight of ants, secrete a sweet substance. Ants really like it, so they protect the aphids from pests, take the females to anthills for the winter, and in the spring transfer the aphids to the juiciest young shoots. Just as people raise and care for cows, ants take care of aphids.

The queen ant lives in the royal chambers. Every day she lays a huge number of eggs (up to 1500). She is looked after by worker ants.

There are children's rooms in the anthill with eggs, larvae and pupae. After all, every insect, before becoming an adult, is first an egg, then a larva, then a pupa. And only after that - adults. (Display of cards depicting an egg, larva, pupa and adult ant).

Didactic exercise “Place the pictures in order”

The teacher mixes the pictures and invites the children to put them in sequence. You can invite four children to pick up the pictures and line up in the right order.

Dynamic pause and visual gymnastics “Ants”

Children find with their eyes a picture that matches the text. The pictures are located in the corners of the room under the ceiling.

The queen laid eggs in the anthill,
Their relatives immediately surrounded them with care.

Ants are waiting with hope in every nook and cranny,
That ant larvae will turn into pupae.

Here from his chrysalis
A new ant has come out.

Children are divided into “ants” and “anthill”. Anthill: children join hands and form a circle. The “ant” children enter the circle. At the signal “morning,” the “anthill” children raise their hands up, and the “ant” children leave the circle and go to work; at the signal “it’s getting dark,” the “anthill” children slowly lower their hands, the “anthill” children rush to get into the circle before the “night” signal, when the “anthill” children lower their hands down.

Life of ants

Questions about the content of the lesson:

1. Why are ants considered the strongest?
2. What is an anthill?
3. How does an anthill work? What “rooms” does it have?
4. Why do ants take care of aphids?
5. How are ants born?
6. Who is the most important in the ant family? What does she do?
7. Why do ants have antennae?
8. Why don’t ants fall when they walk on a smooth and vertical surface?
9. What do ants eat?
10. Name the enemies of ants.
11. Why are ants called “forest orderlies”?

The ant is well known to man. To date, approximately 13,000 insects have been studied and described, which have spread almost throughout the world. The exception is Antarctica, the polar regions and the central territories of vast deserts. Due to their huge numbers, ants make up on average 10 to 25% of the biomass of terrestrial animals. Of this number, more than 300 species of insects live in Russia. The ability to adapt to different habitats is determined by social organization and the use of a variety of resources.

general description

Photo of an ant close-up, posted on the site, will allow you to carefully examine it. Depending on whether they belong to a particular species, insects are different sizes. The smallest individuals reach a length of only 1 mm, and up to 50 mm. They also differ in color. Among the ants there are red, black, red, glossy, matte and even green. Each type of insect has its own characteristic external signs, specific behavior, and they also differ in certain ways.

From a biological point of view, ants belong to the order Hymenoptera. In addition, they belong to the class insects, phylum arthropods and are grouped into the family Formicidae, which means ants in Latin.

Interesting!

Ants are hard-working insects and have enormous capacity for work. They are able to lift a load whose mass is 20 times their own. Heaviness is carried over considerable distances.

Ants are social insects. Social structure their communities have a strict hierarchy with a division of labor, developed systems of communication and self-organization. This allows individuals to coordinate their actions and perform the tasks assigned to them. Some species of ants are endowed with the ability to transmit complex information to each other, thanks to a developed “language”. All individuals are divided into 3 castes:

• females: queens or ;
• males;
• worker ants are sterile females.

Belonging to one group or another is determined at the genetic level and cannot be changed by any circumstances. Male ants and females, they are absent from working individuals. In all species of insects, female individuals are born from fertilized eggs, which can subsequently become queens or workers. Of the unfertilized eggs, only males.

In order to have a complete understanding of ants, a description appearance it is necessary to supplement the features of their anatomical structure.

An excursion into anatomy

The external structure of ants is distinguished by a clearly defined segmentation, in which the following parts of the body are represented - the head, the mesosoma (chest) and the body connected to it. thin waist abdomen. All of them are covered with a durable chitinous shell, which is an exoskeleton. This fact indicates that the insect skeleton is located outside, but despite this, it performs all the functions of an unusually located organ. It provides protection and support to the body.

The anatomy of an ant is quite complex, but also interesting due to its specific features. The narrow waist connecting the abdomen with the mesosome is called petiole, which includes one or 2 segments. Together with the abdomen they form a metasoma. This structure of the ant significantly distinguishes it from other insects.

A characteristic feature is the geniculate antennae located on the head. They perform the function of sensory organs and help the ant to detect chemical substances and recognize smells, determine direction air flow, feel the vibrations. With their help, signals are transmitted and received through contact. The photo of the ant clearly shows the geniculate antennae and body structure of the insect.

On a note!

Only ants have such antennae. Other insects lack such a sensory organ.

The external characteristics of individual ant species are also reflected in the structure of the head. It can be flat-convex, heart-shaped, conical, square, round or pyramidal. The ant's head is equipped with strong mandibles, which are designed to carry food, building material and defense.

Interesting!

In some species of insects, the mandibles open 270° and slam shut like traps at enormous speeds - 120-230 km/h. Therefore, even a tiny ant is capable of sensitively. In some species of insects, the mandibles open 270° and slam shut like traps at enormous speeds - 120-230 km/h. Therefore, even a tiny ant is capable of sensitivity.

The insect's brain in relation to its body weight has a ratio of 1:200, which is one of the largest among representatives of the animal world. However, an ant is an insect that does not have high intelligence, since all its reactions are determined at the genetic level. The variety and complexity of instincts amazes the imagination. In this regard, we can highlight the following features of ants:

• high organization;
• the ability to self-sacrifice for the good of the colony;
• adaptations to the environment resemble intelligent activity.

All these and many other factors attract the attention of myrmecologists. In their scientific works Various species have been described.

The gnawing type oral apparatus of an ant consists of the upper (labrum) and lower (labium) lips, as well as mandibles. Some species of insects have large mandibles, others not so much. They can be blunt or sharp, closing or overlapping. Thanks to their long jaws, insects are able to thoroughly chew food even with their mouths closed. The tongue of the lower lip, which ants use to clean their bodies, contains taste buds.

People are interested in knowing how many eyes an ant has. The organs of vision have a complex facet structure. Ants' eyes are made up of many microscopic lenses. They perfectly distinguish movements, but insects cannot boast of visual acuity.

Interesting!

Most individuals suffer from myopia, and some do not see at all.

In addition to the paired eyes, in the upper part of the ant's head there are 3 more simple eyes. With their help, they can determine the luminous flux and degree of illumination.

Ants have an original stalk-type abdomen with one or 2 rings. There are small notches or protrusions located vertically on it. The abdomen contains the internal organs of the ant, including the reproductive and excretory glands.

In many members of the family, especially working ants, at the end of the third segment of the body there is an ovipositor that has lost its functionality. It transformed into a sting, serving as a weapon of protection and obtaining food. Individuals secrete acid and other signaling substances, which, thanks to this organ, are sprayed over a distance of several centimeters, striking the enemy and warning relatives of danger.

All representatives of the ant family have 3 pairs of legs, which are well developed. Located on the thoracic segment, they perform strictly defined functions:

• 1 pair is equipped with special “brushes” that allow insects to carry out hygiene procedures;
• the hind legs are equipped with spurs, which serve to protect against enemies and attack when fighting with other ants.

Claws, which have a hooked shape, end the ant's limbs. Thanks to this feature, the ant moves along horizontal and absolutely smooth vertical surfaces. The method of their movement is largely determined. Selected species ants jump, glide and even form crossings on water.

Internal structure

Internal anatomical structure ants are quite complex. It requires detailed description and studying. Like any animal, members of the family have digestive organs, excretion, respiratory, nervous and circulatory systems. The insect's heart, which provides circulation of colorless hemolymph or blood, is presented in the form of a muscular tube running along the entire dorsal surface of the individual's body. The size of the ant and the specific structural features depend on its membership in a particular species, as well as its status in the family.

Answering the simple question of where ants live is not so difficult. Insects can be found on almost all continents, in different natural and climatic zones. They prefer to build themselves special anthill dwellings, which can be located on the surface, in the depths of the earth, in decaying wood, or under small stones. Some species of arthropods occupy other people's nests or settle near humans.

The photo of the anthill presented on the site allows you to get acquainted with complex system insect housing arrangements.

The founders of nests, which are built by individuals independently, are females or queens. Their main function is procreation and maintaining the population size, but they are the ones who choose the right place for. There is only one queen in any colony. All the rest, depending on their hierarchical affiliation, feed her, protect her, look after the laid eggs and offspring.

Insects prefer to live in colonies. They are characterized by a sedentary lifestyle, so they build nests suitable for life. The main part of the anthill is located in the soil, where a complex branched system of passages and labyrinths is organized, going to a depth of more than 4 m. This is where the queen is located, eggs and larvae are located. To maintain it, the anthill contains most of the living ants.

On a note!

The appearance of the outer part of the home can vary from a simple hole in the ground to a huge structure, for the construction of which insects use fallen pine needles, plant branches and other material.

Family structure and features of existence

An ant family is a well-organized community with a strictly established division of labor, internal system connections and relationships. The number of individuals in a colony can reach several tens and sometimes millions of inhabitants. Most representatives of the family are sterile, wingless females - worker ants, from which castes of soldiers, foragers, “nurses”, builders and other workers are formed.

An ant colony most often contains one reproductive female. She only does it once during the “nuptial flight.” The resulting supply of sperm lasts her entire life, the duration of which varies from 12 to 20 years and depends on the type of insect. Fertilized individuals gnaw off their wings and create new family. The development cycle of ants consists of several stages - egg, larva, pupa and adult. From a fertilized egg, females are born, otherwise males.

The ability to adapt to a certain environment affects the food in which plant and animal food is presented. The queen is supplied with a protein diet, and working ants prefer to eat small parts of berries, fruits, plant juice, seeds and other carbohydrate menu products.

Interesting!

These small representatives of the fauna mainly depend on functional responsibilities. A worker ant works for the benefit of the colony for 1-3 years. The shortest life path reserved for males, it can reach only a few weeks.

Ants are one of the most interesting and constantly studied representatives of the planet’s animal world. They perform a large number of important environmental functions and have an invaluable role in regulating the number harmful insects..

Being one of the oldest biological species living on Earth, ant family has been a valuable object of study for entomologists for many years. Which is not surprising! These tiny creatures have characteristics that are reflected in modern intelligent human society.

This is definitely worth learning more about. So now the most interesting facts about ants will be listed. Same as for 3rd grade primary school, and for adults who want to learn more about this topic, they will be useful information.

Spreading

The degree of prevalence and numerous species of ants is amazing: insects live in almost all parts of the planet, with the exception of the eternally snow-covered Antarctica, and the number of species, according to various estimates, reaches from 13,500 to 14,000. Most of them live in the tropics.

An interesting fact about ants: about 290 species of these creatures live in Russia. The largest populations are found in the southern part Latin America, the jungles of the Amazon, South and Central Africa. Ants living in the tropics and African savannas are especially aggressive.

Anatomy and food preferences

These insects vary both in size and in feeding preferences. But what they have in common is their anatomy.

Whether it is the most common black ant in the world, which has adapted better than others to life with humans, having a modest size, or Dinoponera gigantea, the world's largest representative of the family, living in South America and reaching 30 mm in length, all ants have approximately the same anatomy. It is expressed in the following structure: head with antennae, prothorax, abdomen, 6 legs.

The difference in anatomy is manifested only in color, the presence of chitinous formations on the heads of representatives of some species, as well as in the size of the grasping mandibles. Some species have quite toxic poison that can cause severe discomfort, itching and even an allergic reaction.

They feed depending on their habitat. Mainly household waste (crumbs, microparticles of food), if they are yellow, red or black house ants. In nature, they can eat aphids and plant sap. Some harmful species feed on wood. Aggressive, large, poisonous African ants are carnivores and can eat carrion or dying animals.

During the fattening period of the larvae, representatives of all species switch to a diet consisting of other insects. The harvester ant prefers microfungal organisms and seeds. Most species do not deny themselves the pleasure of tasting sweet fruits.

Progressive Insect Society

The main similarity between ant and human societies is the high dependence of their representatives and the inability to live in isolation. An interesting fact about ants: they, like people, are capable of cooperation and are inclined to share responsibilities, on the basis of which they form strata by type of activity. Their survival as a species over the years has depended not on evolution, but on their commitment to collectivism. This gave entomologists the basis to call multimillion-dollar ant colonies universal “superorganisms.”

Any species is characterized by hierarchy, structuring, caste society and sacrifice. Listing interesting facts from the life of ants for children, I would like to note that the castes of the society of these insects include “workers” and “scouts” (females deprived of reproductive function) who search for and obtain food, as well as soldiers (large individuals with strong mandibles) protecting the colony.

Distribution of roles

Males, whose main task is fertilization, are born less frequently than females and serve as inseminators. Their lifespan does not exceed several weeks. Females are more valuable and versatile. Since even infertile workers are capable of degenerating into full-fledged insects with normal reproductive function.

The queen ant is the largest female and lives 10-20 years. Its main task is to lay larvae. Some colonies may have multiple queens. In cases where the queen does not lay enough eggs, the ants are able to expel her and choose a new queen.

Another feature of these insects as a developed society is their ability to analyze the activities of their relatives. They recognize parasitism and exterminate idle ants. On the other hand, they are able to show care for wounded relatives. When one ant loses a limb and is unable to feed itself, others bring it food and give it the opportunity to get stronger instead of getting rid of the patient.

They are the only insects that practice stealing pupae of ants of other species, which subsequently perform the same functions in the new anthill as native insects. This practice even has a name! It is customary to call this “ant slavery.”

Features of the anthill structure

They are also worth noting, telling interesting facts about ants for children. Few people know, but these insects are huge owners and do not allow uninvited guests to stay on their territory.

The “soldiers” are serving regularly. They protect common Home from attacks not only from insects, but also from ants of other species. The structure of the anthill itself is also interesting, which is a huge residential complex divided into sectors. The length of some of these “dwellings” is tens of kilometers.

It’s amazing how detailed and thoughtfully ants organize their life. The labor productivity of these insects is amazing. None other Living being unable to perform his or her duties smoothly on a day-to-day basis. The constant search for food, the processes of accumulation, preparation for wintering, reproduction, disposal of waste - all this must be taken into account when building an anthill.

Usually this structure looks like this: an elevated dome-shaped pile of twigs, blades of grass and forest litter with earth plays the role of an upper, heated sector, through which ventilation and sunlight access systems are laid. On the lower levels there are storage areas for food, wintering chambers, a separate spacious room for the queen, a compartment for storing inorganic waste and building materials, storage areas for eggs and aphids, as well as an ant cemetery where dead insects are stored.

And here’s another interesting fact about ants: these creatures are characterized by high cleanliness and a penchant for order, so researchers have repeatedly observed not only the transportation of food and building materials inside the anthill, but also its cleaning by workers.

Wintering

It does not correspond to traditional understandings of the meaning of this process. The “hibernation” characteristic of mammals is not familiar to all ants. Only some species fall into a state of suspended animation. In most cases, anthills are full of life even in winter.

To ensure comfortable well-being during the cold season, insects carefully seal all openings and transport food to moisture-protected areas of the anthill. The processes of reproduction of offspring during this period are suspended, due to considerations of saving provisions.

Few people know this interesting fact about ants: insects that hibernate in particularly harsh climatic conditions, are able to survive extreme temperature drops environment. In some cases, the larvae recorded a temperature of -50 degrees, after which they successfully came to life when the thaw set in.

The role of ants in nature

When telling interesting facts about ants for children, it is worth mentioning: there are species in their kingdom that make their home in the trunks of dead trees. Thus, they catalyze the process of wood decomposition.

Ants also actively interact with flora. They help spread plant seeds.

In gardening, their role is also quite important. Involuntarily in the course of my daily labor activity ants transport a huge amount of nutrients and minerals into the soil, and the waste products of ants perform the function of organic fertilizer.

Relationships with other insects

This topic should also be noted with attention, considering the most interesting facts about ants. Most of these creatures are quite hostile towards other insects. Due to the peculiarities of their set of instincts, they perceive any other creature as potential prey.

For an ant, there is no such thing as a “too big” or “overwhelming” animal. When spiders, caterpillars, crickets or other insects are in close proximity, they will attack without hesitation and literally dismantle them for “spare parts.” Therefore, ants do not get along well with other representatives of the insect world, and with small animals too.

At the same time, being progressive and highly organized representatives of the fauna, these creatures mastered “cattle breeding.” Corn ants have learned to contain aphids and feed on their secretions. The shepherd ant is independently capable of controlling the feeding process of a group of aphids. In some cases, anthills have special rooms where aphids live. Ants regularly deliver food there. By the same principle, representatives of the red species are able to graze the Cicada Nymph and feed on its nectar.

They wage a war of extermination with insects of another species. Perceiving black ants as competitors, red ants push them out of their territory.

Good to know

Continuing to list interesting facts about ants, it is worth noting a number of interesting nuances:

In fact, you can still list many interesting facts from the life of ants. But the ones above are considered the most entertaining. However, even after getting acquainted with them, many are surprised - such small creatures, but they are of such great interest.