How Much Do 1 Million Ants Weigh?

Depending on who you ask, the answer to the question “how much do 1 million ants weigh” ranges from a few grams to a couple of pounds. The most common ant species weigh around 3 to 5 milligrams. However, some of the largest ants weigh up to 400 milligrams.

The total weight of all ants on Earth, calculated from thousands of studies, is about 20 quadrillion. This is about as large as a fifth of the total weight of all humans on Earth.

However, researchers note that these numbers are likely low. In fact, they calculate that the ant population is likely to be in excess of 100 trillion. The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

There are more than 13,000 species of ants in the world. The largest ant species, the African wandering ant, weighs more than 150 milligrams. Other species weigh a few hundred milligrams. The smallest ants are about one milligram.

The average ant weighs around 60 milligrams. These figures are derived from studies conducted on 489 species. Most studies included representatives from all continents except Antarctica.

The scientists calculated the ant’s mass by taking into account the amount of carbon in the ants. Carbon makes up half of the dry weight of ants. These figures also include the weight of ants living in forests and other areas with more vegetation.

The researchers also note that there are no ants in Antarctica. Some island countries are also excluded from the study.