How Much Water Do Ants Need to Drink?
WouterDuring hot weather, ants are attracted to places with water. They need water to cool their bodies and to maintain their hydration. If they don’t have water, ants will die within 7-10 days.
Different ant species drink water at different rates. Paul & Roces 2003 measured the amount of fluids taken by different ant species. The data gives a good range for ant drinking rates.
A typical ant will drink about 6-8 microliters of water in one sitting. The smallest ants will drink about 0.1 microliter. The mid-sized ants will drink about one-fifth of a drop in a single sitting.
Unlike flies, ants do not use their lungs to breath. Instead, they use their mandible to break the surface tension of the water. This causes the water to adhere to the ant’s head. The ant then moves the liquid to its digestive system.
Water is stored in the ant’s abdomen and hypopharynx. The hypopharynx is shaped like a funnel. The ant can draw water in by sucking on the liquid. This is similar to the human method of drinking water.
Another way ants drink water is by licking. They use negative pressure to draw water to their hypopharynx. This process is similar to the human method of sucking.
The ant labium is also similar to the human tongue. It contains water and other substances. The labium is divided into glossa. These glossa are the structures that absorb water.
The ant’s digestive system can also use water from an external source. For example, a test tube containing water is a good external source. It is also a good idea to put a cotton ball at the end of the tube.
