Student Research Pages - The Ant Colony
Meet the members of the ant family or members of the colony:
Ants are "social" insects. That means they work together to make sure they all survive. They don't live on their own. Instead they live in a colony.
Worker ants:
Most ants are "worker ants." Colonies have more worker ants than any other kind. All worker ants are female, but they can’t have babies. Don’t worry! They do lots of caretaking! Their whole purpose in life is to take care of the queen and the brood (the baby ants).
Queen ants:
All colonies have at least one queen that lays all the eggs. Queens have bigger bodies than the other ants. Some can lay millions of eggs during their lifetimes!
Brood:
The general word for ant babies no matter what stage they're in (eggs, larvae, and pupae).
Reproductives:
These male and female winged ants leave the nest to start their own colonies.
LIFECYCLE IN A COLONY
Egg –> Larva –> Pupa –> Adult