Topic outline of ants

:"For a more comprehensive list, see the List of ants topics."

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified.

Highly organised colonies may consist of millions of ants; these are mostly sterile females ("workers", "soldiers", and other castes), with some fertile males ("drones"), and one or more fertile females ("queens"). Able to occupy and use a wide area of land to support itself, ant colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms as they appear to operate as unified entities. [cite book|author=Oster GF, Wilson EO|year=1978|title=Caste and Ecology in the Social Insects|publisher=Princeton University Press, Princeton|page=pp. 21–22]

Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are remote or inhospitable islands. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass.cite journal |author=Schultz TR|year=2000 |title=In search of ant ancestors|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=97 |issue=26 |pages=pp. 14028–14029 |url=http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/97/26/14028
doi = 10.1073/pnas.011513798 |pmid=11106367] ^{[Wikipedia:Footnotes| [broken footnote]} Their success has been attributed to their social structure, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic and mutualistic relationships.Hölldobler & Wilson (1990), p. 471]

Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals and an ability to solve complex problems.cite journal |author=Dicke E, Byde A, Cliff D, Layzell P |year=2004 |chapter=An ant-inspired technique for storage area network design |title=Proceedings of Biologically Inspired Approaches to Advanced Information Technology: First International Workshop, BioADIT 2004 LNCS 3141 |pages=pp. 364–379 |editor=A. J. Ispeert, M. Murata & N. Wakamiya] ^{[Wikipedia:Footnotes| [broken footnote]} These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study for man. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication and rituals. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents.Hölldobler & Wilson (1990), pp. 619–629] ^{[Wikipedia:Footnotes| [broken footnote]} However, the ability to exploit resources brings ants into conflict with humans as they can, for example, damage crops and invade buildings. The accidental introduction of species into new areas and a tendency to sting has made some ants major pests.cite web|url=http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7411.html|title=Pest Notes: Ants (Publication 7411)|publisher=University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources|year=2007|accessdate=2008-06-05] ^{[Wikipedia:Footnotes| [broken footnote]}

Myrmecology (from Greek: μύρμεξ, "myrmex", "ant"; and λόγος, "logos", "knowledge") is the scientific study of ants, a branch of entomology. Ants are often chosen as a study group to answer questions on the evolution of social systems. All ants are highly eusocial.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to ants:

Essence of ants

: "Main articles: Ants and Myrmecology"

* Ant colony

Biological classification

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Class: Insecta
* Order: Hymenoptera
* Suborder: Apocrita
* Superfamily: Vespoidea
* Family: Formicidae (family authority: Latreille, 1809)

Kinds of ants

* List of ant genera (alphabetical)
* British ants
* List of the common names of British ant species
* List of non-endemic ant species introduced to the British Isles
* List of established non-endemic ant species of the British Isles
* Rare ants of the British Isles
* List of locales in Britain where ant species have become locally extinct

Subfamilies

Cladogram of ant subfamilies:clade|style=font-size:75%;line-height:75%
1=clade
1=Leptanillinae
2=Amblyoponinae
3=Paraponerinae
4=Agroecomyrmecinae
5=Ponerinae
6=Proceratiinae
7=clade
1=clade
1=clade
1=Ecitoninae
2=Aenictinae
3=clade
1=Dorylini
2=Aenictogitoninae
2=Cerapachyinae*
3=Leptanilloidinae
2=clade
1=clade
1=clade
1=Dolichoderinae
2=Aneuretinae
2=clade
1=Pseudomyrmecinae
2=Myrmeciinae
2=clade
1=clade
1=Ectatomminae
2=Heteroponerinae
2=Myrmicinae
3=Formicinae

History of ants

: "Main article: History of ants"

Basic myrmecology concepts

Myrmecologists

* Horace Donisthorpe
* William Morton Wheeler
* Auguste Forel

Ants lists

: "Main article: List of ants topics"

See also

References

External links