Species

Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies

Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies

Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies

Barklice, Booklice, and Parasitic Lice

Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids

Mayflies

Moths

Praying Mantises

Scorpionflies, Hangingflies, and Allies

Stoneflies

True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and Allies

ants

(Family Formicidae)

Information
Photos
Slideshows
Videos
Sightings

Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy

Overview

Photo by Alfredo Colon

Formicidae is the family that includes ants. There are at least 14,000 known species of ants worldwide. The potential number of species is closer to 22,000. There are more than 700 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 57 species in Minnesota (CCESR). They occur on every continent except Antarctica. They are found in a wide variety of habitats. Most live underground and are seen only when foraging for food.


	Description
	Adults are 1 ⁄32″ to 1″ in length. The second abdominal segment, sometimes the first two segments, forms a distinctive node or hump called the petiole. The antennae are elbowed, with a very long basal segment (scape), and the remaining segments held at a sharp, elbow-like angle to the scape. Queens and males are usually winged, workers are always wingless.


	Distribution
			Sources 7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.
	7/4/2022


	Taxonomy
	Order	Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies)
	Suborder	Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees)
	No Rank	Aculeata (ants, bees, and stinging wasps)
	Superfamily	Formicoidea

	Subordinate Taxa
	Subfamily Dolichoderinae Subfamily Ectatomminae Subfamily Formicinae Subfamily Myrmicinae Subfamily Ponerinae

	Synonyms


	Common Names
	ants


	Visitor Photos

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	Alfredo Colon












	Mike Poeppe




	Greg Watson

	The ants appear to be collecting honeydew from several scale insects.



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	Slideshows

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	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	Ants - Formicidae - YouTube JCVdude

	About Mar 16, 2012 Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 out of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. music by Zeropage - 02 - Ambient India



	Mound-building Ants (Formicidae) Carl Barrentine

	About Apr 18, 2010 This large ant nest or mound appears to consist entirely of soil. Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (17 April 2010).

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Visitor Sightings

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Alfredo Colon 8/25/2022	Location: Albany, NY



Mike Poeppe 7/28/2022	Location: Just west of Houston, MN



Greg Watson 6/10/2022	Location: Reno Quarry Trail in the Reno Recreation Area near Reno, MN The ants appear to be collecting honeydew from several scale insects.



Alfredo Colon 8/21/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



Alfredo Colon 8/20/2019	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



Alfredo Colon 7/9/2018	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings