How Old Do Ants Live?
WouterDespite their small size, ants have a long life span. Their lifespan depends on many factors, including species, caste, and living conditions.
Ants can live anywhere from a few months to over a decade. In the wild, female workers of some species can live as long as seven to eight years. Male ants, meanwhile, can only live for a few days.
Ants can also be kept in captivity. In a lab environment, Lasius niger queens have been shown to live for as long as 28 and a half years. However, these queens are rare in the wild.
Ants go from an undeveloped larval stage to a fully developed adult stage. During this time, the larvae are busy feeding on a massive amount of food. The ant’s digestive system is highly efficient, allowing the insects to extract nutrients from food and maintain their health.
Ants have a number of interesting features, including a pheromone (a chemical that can attract other ants), a “miasma” (a female ant’s reproductive organ), and a complex skeleton.
The longest-lived ant is the queen of the colony, which can live for up to thirty years or more. However, these queens are often threatened by predators and competitors in the wild. In some cases, they migrate to another colony to find a more favorable environment.
Another ant with a longer life span is the spider. The largest species of spiders, the golden orb spider, lives for as long as a decade.
