What is ant?

Ants communicate and cooperate by secreting pheromones, or scent chemicals, that

can alert others to danger or lead them to a promising food source. They typically eat
nectar, seeds, fungus, or insects. However, some species have diets that are more
unusual. Army ants, with their large mandibles and painful stings, may prey on reptiles,
birds, or even small mammals.
Ants are social insects that live in structured nest communities throughout the world.
The species determines their ant habitat – whether they live underground, in mounds
built at ground level, in wood structures or in plants or trees. Soil and plant matter are
typically used to construct the nests.
In colder regions, ants will become inactive during the winter months. In warmer
temperatures and climates, ants continue to be active.
There are more than 10,000 known species of ants living throughout the world. Ants can
be identified by the constriction between the abdomen and thorax that looks like a
narrow waist. Their bodies are covered with a hard armor called the exoskeleton. Most
ants are either red or black in color and length can be anywhere from 1/3" to 1/2". Like
other insects, they have six legs; each with three joints. Ants have large heads with
compound eyes, elbowed antennae, and powerful jaws.
An ant's habitat is controlled by a queen, their function in life is to lay thousands of eggs
to make sure the colony survives. The ants which are seen by humans are worker ants,
these are wingless female ants that never reproduce - instead, they spend their time
foraging for food and care for the queen’s offspring. Male ants have one duty and that is
to mate with the queen, after that they die.
This phase begins 10 days after the queen lays her eggs, it lasts 10 days until the
larvae develop. During this phase, they travel all-day and attack other colonies along
with insects for food. At nighttime, they make temporary nests and move on the next
day. They also use their own bodies to create a nest to protect the queen, food and
eggs.
Mated females then seek a suitable place to begin a colony. There, they break off their
wings and begin to lay and care for eggs. The females store the sperm they obtain
during their nuptial flight to selectively fertilise future eggs.