How Long Does an Ant Live?
WouterDepending on the species of ant, the average life span is between a couple of weeks and several decades. The length of an ant’s life is dependent on many factors, including the species and the role it plays in the colony. The lifespan of an ant will also depend on the social structure of the colony.
The life of ants is quite interesting. Ants start out as larvae. These larvae do all of the growing and development required for adults. Ant pupae are born without an antennae, and they will remain in this stage for a number of weeks. After a couple of weeks, the pupae will begin to darken. In most cases, the pupae will remain in this state for at least a month.
Ants typically live in single nest colonies, but some species are capable of building supercolonies that can span thousands of miles. These supercolonies contain millions of nests and billions of workers.
In addition to building the nest, the worker ants also take care of the larvae and forage for food to feed the queen. During this time, the workers sacrifice their own health and nutrition to feed the colony.
The queen ant of an ant colony can live as long as thirty years. This is because the queen’s survival is the highest priority. She is the main reason the colony can survive. In addition, a queen can create many more ants.
Other ant species can live for a couple of months to several decades. Queens are usually the longest-lived ants.
