Formicidae

Ants belong to the family Formicidae within the Order Hymenoptera. Ants are social insects and have a complex social organisation within their colonies. Typically the colony contains one or more reproductive females (queens) and a large number of workers and brood. Recruitment of workers, trail-laying, alarm transmission, and many other aspects of the ant social behaviour are regulated by pheromones (chemical secretions).

A photograph of wood ants on the surface of their nest.

Other names for (or types of) Formicidae include:

• Ant

Related terms

• Aculeate
• Apoidea
• Bivouac
• Castes
• Eusocial
• Flying ant day
• Gaster
• Gyne
• Honeydew
• Hymenoptera
• Myrmeleontidae
• Nanitic
• Nuptial flight
• Pedicel
• Pheromone
• Queen
• Sting
• Symbiosis
• Venom
• Vespidae
• Vespoidea
• Worker
• Xenobiosis

Related pages on this web site

• Ants
• Army Ants
• Bees, Wasps and Ants - Order Hymenoptera

See other words beginning with F