Ant and Related Entomology Terms

Depending on the species, workers in a colony can be

1. Monomorphic, all the same size.
2. Dimorphic, of two sizes.
3. Polymorphic, more than two sizes.

Workers divide labor, so some leave the nest to find food while most of them stay in the nest to take care of all of the other tasks which need to be done.

Tropical birds of the family Formicariidae: Antbirds follow raiding swarms of army ants and feed on the prey stirred up by the ants.

A butterflies that flies after the raiding swarms of army ants: Such antbutterflies feed on the droppings of antbirds.

The narrowed, neck-like portion of the first antennal segment that connects to the head surface: An antennal condyle refers to the appendage on the head of insects and crustaceans that are usually sensitive to touch and taste.

The cavity or depression of the head into which the antenna is inserted: Linda found some interesting details regarding ants and learned that the antennal fossae were the parts of an ant where the antennae were attached to the head capsule...

The action of touching with the antennae: The movement of antennation can serve as a sensory pherobe or as a tactile signal to another insect.

An ingrowth or other rigid process of the exoskeleton: An apodeme is typically adaptedd for serving as a muscle attachment.

A secretion presented by a social parasite: The appeasement substance lowers aggression in the host insect and aids the parasite's acceptance by the host colony.

Referring to the condition of lying flat against something: Appressed hair runs parallel, or nearly parallel, to the the surface of an insect or on the stems of certain plants.

In zoology, regarding an animal that is wingless: There are some apterous insects, like the silverfish and springtails, both of which lack organs of flight.

A specialized nutritive attachment on ant-dispersed seeds: Stimulated to attract ants, the ants transport the seeds to new locations, discard them after feeding on the elaiosomes, and so aid in the dispersal of the seeds.

A member of an ant species that shows both nomadic and group-predatory behavior: In other words, the nest site of army ants is changed at relatively frequent intervals, in some cases daily, and the workers forage in groups.

A cushionlike pad located between the tarsal claws and constituting part of the pretarsus: An arolium is an appendage of the tarsus of certain insects, like in the order of Trichoptera, or caddis flies.

The "tarsus" is the foot of an insect; the one-segmented to five-segmented appendage attached to the tibia, or lower leg segment.

The production of male ants from unfertilized eggs: A parthenogenetic female can produce such arrhenotoky, in which only male offspring, and not female offspring, are created.

Ther meeting of colony ant members for any communal activity: In the book about ants, Sally read that such assemblies of ants were important for communal work, like repairing a destroyed nest.