Ants, Insects Most Dominant on Earth

Throw chunks of food on the ground, the first animal to reach it is ants. This is true in most of the mainland where there are ants. In terms of the number of individuals and biomass (weight), fleet ants dominate nearly all terrestrial habitats in the world. Day or night, the army ants vigorously explore the mainland, so they can find food before the other animals find it.

With the ecological dominance, it was natural that the ants can be found everywhere. From tall buildings to lush forests, from the coast to the area subalpin. Ants are also present in the soil up to a tall tree, in the desert to tundra. In fact, today you are likely not far from worker ants roaming around you.

Ant dominance is also reflected in the number of insect biomass. In the composition of the biomass of insects in the world, at least one-third consists of ants. The amount is quite large considering the total number of ant species is less than 2% of the total number of insect species. The number of ant species in the world estimated at 20,000, and 12,000 of them have been known to science. In Indonesia alone there are about 1,500 species have been described, but it is estimated there are about 500 species remain to be discovered.



The identification of ant species in Indonesia is difficult because there are at least taxonomic study of ants here. Even so, do not need a complex research to find out how many species of ants roaming around our house. When a simple observation, it can be seen at least 3 species of ants around the house. Several different species more can be found on the home page.

When you observe the ants in the community around you, do not be surprised if you find various living species in a relatively narrow area. Most ants are small, with a length of less than 5 mm. With this small body, the resources needed to survive relatively small anyway. Thus more ant population can survive in a small area compared to the animals that are larger in size.

Moreover, an ant colony has a system of division of labor in the fleet workers. In this system, each member of a colony of ants running certain jobs according to the needs of the colony at that time. Jobs colonies are foraging, nest building, keeping the enemy, care for chicks, producing eggs, or reproduction. With the division of labor, the work of the colony performed effectively and efficiently thereby increasing resilience and survival of the colony.

Wood ant colonies:

Red ant colony:

Black ant colonies:

Ant species coexistence has ecological niche is different. The difference in these niches to reduce competition among ant colonies to suppress the population. For example, one species of ants choose to search for small-sized food particles, other species choose a large food particles. There are ants that chose nest on the ground, there are cracks in the wood, some are in between the leaves of the tree. There were ants are nocturnal, some are active during the day. Given the differences in life strategy, ant species can share resources environment.

Ants stamped his little feet on earth since 90 million years ago, predating the new man appeared about 250,000 years ago. However, only since 10 million years ago the number of ant species and populations to develop and achieve such abundance today. In the history of his long life, ant species evolved adaptations of complex and interesting in terms of morphology, physiology, and social behavior. An example is the emergence of ant farm, farmer ants, ant social parasite, silk weaver ants, flying ants, giant ants, even ants can blow himself. Given the complexity of such a life, do not be surprised if the ants are considered as the culmination of the evolution of insects, just as humans are the top of vertebrate evolution.

TYPES OF ANTS

Ants Pristomyrmex punctatus with the aphid symbiosis partner:

Ant Crematogaster sp. together anakannya in decayed wood:

Paratrechina longicornis Ants interact:

Black ants on the leaf surface Dolichoderus thoracicus:

Ants site :

ANTS IN THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS :

Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki

Apparently, the animal named Ant (Ant) there is also a danger, despite its not how much, but due to the resulting very fatal. Ant is named: Coptotermes Formosanus Shiraki. Ant is a kind of war that are plant pests. Forms large ants, venomous and can be found in the graveyard, reddish hills.

Now the ants achieve dominance in terms of the number of individuals and biomass of terrestrial creatures. In its natural habitat, the ants have ecological roles are important. In terrestrial ecosystems, ants are major predators on small invertebrates. Ants can explore vast areas of land, causing the lifting of soil nutrients. Ants form a symbiosis with a variety of insects, plants, and fungi. Without symbiosis with ants, the organism will decrease the population to extinction. Aside from being predators, ants are an important prey for a variety of insects, spiders, reptiles, birds, frogs, even for carnivorous plants.

Run ant role so crucial that it is said that if the ant species, thousands of species of animals and plants will go extinct. Even more than that, almost all terrestrial ecosystems will be weakened due to the reduced complexity of the ecosystem. The presence of ants is often compared to the human existence and destruction of nature does, which is that if humans became extinct from this earth, the balance will return to the lush and natural as the human population before the explosion occurred. However, the fact of human existence is not absolutely have to destroy nature, because humans have always had the option of destroying the environment or maintain it. It's just, man must be wise in deciding choice and not repeat the mistakes that have been committed.

If we can understand the language of ants, maybe they will say, and give an answer to us, and we can learn from them. Like the ancient thinkers were amazed at the behavior of ants. Solomon said: 'Hey slacker, go to the ant, consider ways and be wise.