Ants' fantastic micro world
A scientist who studies ants and other insects is called an entomologist. Entomologists are interested in the study of insects for many reasons. By knowing about insects we can try to control those harmful to humans and use the helpful ones to improve our world. We can even discover more about ourselves by watching and studying insects.
Insects are fascinating. Become an amateur entomologist and watch your ants!You will be amazed at what these little engineers can do! There are 4,600 kinds of ants on Earth. Ants make their homes almost everywhere, from the seashore to the mountains, from rotten logs to your kitchen. Ants can do amazing things. They can dig great catacombs of tunnels, some as deep as fifteen feet. They can pick up and carry objects that are many times their own weight. Ants can climb trees that are 100 feet (30,5 meters) high. They can move at a speed that compares to a person running 65 miles per hour (104 kph). The most interesting thing about ants is that they work together. Ants cannot survive alone. They have communities, just as we do. They work together to build their home, find food, take care of the queen and the young ants, and defend their home. Others need to be prodded. Ant colonies fight battles with other ant colonies. Their wars, like human wars, result in many dead and wounded.
Ant Discoveries
The way ants communicate with each other has puzzled people form many years. Benjamin Franklin experimented with ants to see how they lead each other to food. Since his time, many interesting discoveries have been made. Ants have special glands that make chemicals. These chemicals, called pheromones, can change the way other ants act. Have you ever seen a great number of ants following the same trail? They are probably reacting to pheromones that were put there by an ant from their colony! Ants have an amazing ability to find their way home from places that seem far away.
Entomologists have found that some ants use the sun to find their way home-even when it is covered with clouds. Entomologists have tried to find out whether or not ants see color. Many say, "no". However, other entomologists are not sure. One entomologist found that ants can see the differences between certain shapes. As a matter of fact, ants seem to be more attracted to vertical stripes than horizontal ones.
Do ants learn?
You may have heard of scientists putting rats in a maze to dee if they could learn to find their way through it. But have you ever heard of an ant maze? Well, it's been tried.
Not all kinds of ants can learn a maze, but some ants do very well. Ants that must search out food and find their way back to their ant hill can also fin d their way through a maze. Do you think that their pheromones helped?
One entomologist tried an interesting experiment to see if ants could solve a problem. He put some ant pupae (young ants) on a small island of dirt surrounded by water. The ants threw dirt on the water until they had built a bridge. They rescued the pupae and brought them home. The entomologist then tried another experiment. He made an island without pupae on it. The ants covered the water with dirt again! The scientist found that ants often cover water with dirt.
As an amateur entomologist you can perform experiments with your ants. As a matter of fact, we have included some experiments and data sheets in this guide. Remember that an ant is a remarkable animal. Take good care of your ants!
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