Ants

An ant colony works like a single super-organism: a queen lays the eggs while thousands of sterile female workers gather food, tend the young and defend the nest. Ants communicate mostly through chemical scents called pheromones, laying trails that guide nestmates to food. They live on every continent except Antarctica and range from tiny thief ants to fierce army ants that hunt in swarms.

This category profiles many types of ants, from fire ants and carpenter ants to the leaf-stitching weaver ant. You can follow the ant life cycle from egg to adult, learn what makes queen ants so important, and get tips on setting up and watching an ant farm at home or in class.