Ants are insects that belong to the order Hymenoptera. More than two thousand species of ants have been studied by scientists. Ants are found in most parts of the world. Most ants are smaller than an inch.
Ants are social animals and have their own kingdoms. This means that they live together in large colonies or groups. Some colonies may contain millions of ants. Most colonies make nests in the ground or in dead trees.
There are three kinds of ants in each colony – queens, laying eggs; males who do not work; and a corps of female workers. An ant colony contains too many cells or chambers for different purposes. The queen lives in one, laying eggs. Next door is the hatching room, from which the grubs as they turn into pupae are carried into another room to develop. The other rooms are used for special purposes such as storing food etc. An ant colony may contain several queens each with its own suite of rooms. Worker ants collect food, feed the young ants and build the nest. Some species of ants also have female soldier ants. They protect the nest.
The armies of ants of the tropical jungles march to a different place everyday. Thousands of them march in a narrow band and eat any animal that comes in their way. Army ants can eat all the flesh off the bones of a dead animal very quickly.
Ants can do many things. They are able to travel long distances away from their nest and find their way back, because they follow their own chemical trails. Ants are very strong. They can lift things that weigh 50 times more than their own.