Ants: A Visual Guide

Description

A richly illustrated natural history of ants, covering their diversity, ecology, anatomy, behavior, and more Plentiful and familiar, ants make up an estimated one-third of the world’s insect biomass and can be found in virtually every part of the globe, from rainforest canopies to city sidewalks. But their importance is about more than numbers: ants are fundamental species in a range of habitats, their interactions with plants, fungi, and other animals ensuring the survival of many fragile and complex ecosystems. This beautifully illustrated book explores the extraordinary diversity of ants and offers insights into their elaborate social systems, investigating the key collective and competitive behaviors that operate within their varied colony structures. Featuring exceptional close-up photographs and clearly organized thematic chapters, the book covers anatomy, evolution, life cycle, ecology, and other important topics. Each chapter also features profiles of stand-out genera, chosen for their fascinating characteristics, including Leafcutter Ants who build nests containing up to 7,000 chambers, Pugnacious Ants whose colonies can destroy populations of crabs within hours, and Honeypot Ants whose worker caste store food in their stomachs for other colony members to consume. Drawing on current research, Ants offers an inviting and accessible introduction to these remarkable insects. Includes more than 200 stunning color photographs, plus infographics and diagramsPresents full profiles of 42 iconic genera from across the worldFeatures clearly structured thematic chapters Cover Contents Introducing the Ants Chapter 1. What is an Ant? Ant Anatomy When Form Meets Function Attack and Defense Locomotion Sensory Structures Internal Anatomy Reproduction Ant Profiles: Odontomachus Gigantiops Polyrhachis Carebara Melissotarsus Harpegnathos Tatuidris Chapter 2. Evolution and Diversity The Ant Tree of Life The Big Five Rise to Dominance Deep Time Capsules Innovation and Trade-offs A Cosmopolitan Group Island Living Ant Profiles: Nothomyrmecia Crematogaster Pheidole Strumigenys Haidomyrmecinae Martialis Discothyrea Chapter 3. Life history, Reproduction, and Devlopment Life Cycle Love is in the Air Colony Foundation—Variations on a Theme Sex Determination and Eusociality Castes in Ants Worker Exploitation Ant Profiles: Mystrium Stigmatomma Eciton Formica Oecophylla Messor Dinoponera Chapter 4. Behavior Trailblazing Work Colony Chatter Spit Takes Seeing is Believing Safe and Secure Builders and Architects Memory in Time Ant Profiles: Cataglyphis Colobopsis Euprenolepis Aphaenogaster Cephalotes Megaponera Plectroctena Chapter 5 Ecology The Hallmark of Ant Ecology Finders, Keepers . . . Or Not? Symbiotic Living No Harm, No Foul Prowling Hunters and the Enemy Within Ants in the Anthropocene Ant Profiles: Azteca Rhytidoponera Anoplolepis Camponotus Atta Neoponera Tetraponera Chapter 6 Ants and People Farming Friend or Foe? Food and Pharmaceuticals Cultural Icons Artistic Inspiration School of Ants Change Underfoot Ant Profiles: Linepithema Dorylus Lasius Melophorus Myrmecia Tetramorium Paraponera Glossary Further Reading Index Picture Credits Acknowledgments