What Genus Do Ants Belong To?
WouterGenerally, ants are placed in the Formicidae Family. They are characterized by a wide diversity of form and function. They are found in a wide variety of habitats, from grassy areas to cypress swamps to urban environments.
Most Formicidae have a metapleural gland, which produces phenylacetic acid to fight bacteria and fungi. Some arboreal species have no metapleural gland. The gland is composed of two cell clusters. The gland leads to two chambers in the rear of the middle body.
Male ants have small mandibles, which fail to touch each other by a distance equal to their length. Their mandibles are also short, and their petiole is narrowed toward the apex. The petiole is shaped as a triangle. It is covered with coarse irregular rugae.
The eyes of worker ants are large. They are three times larger than the head. The distance between the anterior border of the eye and the anterior border of the head is slightly greater than the distance between the eye and the mandible. They have a well-developed carina between the eye and the anterior border of the clypeus. They have a small tooth on the anterior medial border of the clypeus.
The posterior face of the petiole is glossy. The anterior and posterior faces converge to a blunt rounded apex. The dorsum of the gaster has a stridulatory file. The tibiae are mostly black, with erect hairs on the flexor surface of the distal half.
