The deadly jaws of the Dracula ant are the fastest natural engine: 320 kilometers per hour

Pair of mouthparts used either for biting or cutting and holding food

Jaws of a bull ant
Mandible

(from Latin: mandible or mandĭbŭ-lum, jaw)[1] An arthropod is a pair of mouthparts used either for biting or cutting and holding food. Mandibles are often simply called jaws. Mandibles are present in the modern subphyla Myriapoda (centipedes, etc.), Crustacea, and Hexapoda (insects, etc.). These groups constitute the clade Mandibulata, which is currently considered sister to the rest of the arthropods, the clade Arachnomorpha (Chelicerata and Trilobita).

Unlike the chelicerae of arachnids, mandibles can often be used to chew food. Mandibles are also distinguished by the presence of antennae, as well as the presence of three distinct body parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen. (The cephalothorax (or prosoma) of the chelicerates is the fusion of the head and thorax.)

Diagram of an amphipod mandible.
1. Molar process; 2. Spinal row; 3. Lacinia mobilis
; 4. Incisive process; 5. Palp

Life of ants: description of colony members

The inhabitants of the anthill are divided into four groups. They are divided into:

• Larvae are future offspring.
• Worker (gathering) ants, who are responsible for caring for all members of the family, delivering food and defending their home from enemy attacks;
• Males who die some time after mating. Their function is procreation;
• Females (queens) are the founders of any anthill. Their main function is to lay eggs. There is only one female queen in the anthill, she is guarded, nourished and faithfully guarded by the ants;

Interesting facts about ants:

What do ants eat?

Ants are omnivorous insects. Their food preferences are determined by their species and habitat. During the warmer months, foragers feed every day. With the onset of cold weather, everything changes - most species of the ant family do not hibernate, so in the fall they stock up on food for their eyeballs. This will allow them to easily survive the cold period.

Ants eat depending on their type

In the anthill, food is distributed among the residents. Distribute food as follows:

• The larvae receive protein food: the remains of small insects, eggs of various parasites;

• The queen's diet is based on proteins. Her food is delivered chewed.
• To maintain strength, worker ants must eat carbohydrate-rich, energy-dense, and easily digestible foods. They feed on the pulp of fruits and berries, seeds, nuts, roots and plant juice. If they live in a human's house, they feed on sugar and honey. The sweets of ants include honeydew (vegetable juice, which it secretes when the temperature changes) and honeydew (the sweet milk of aphids);

Pharaoh ant

Food for the ant

A species that for two centuries completely dominated next to humans. The food of pharaoh ants is no different from the human menu. Under natural conditions, indoor pests feed on what their red counterparts eat in the forest:

• insects and larvae.
• small invertebrates;
• plants' seeds;

But in the house these parasites become a real disaster. Their diet is expanding significantly. Foods that ants eat at home:

• sausage;
• meat;
• cheese;
• sugar;
• flakes;
• sweets.
• bread;
• oil;
• potato;

It is much easier to name what they do not eat than to list everything that is edible for these insects. They are especially attracted to sweets as food. They are quite capable of eating only candy, cookies, pastries and cakes.

At home, almost all ant species become omnivores and eat the same food as humans.

How often do they eat or what do they eat in winter?

Ants are quite nimble and mobile insects. They have a peculiar brain as they can have a social life. They eat several times a day. Worker ants search for and deliver food into the house, which they also eat. Those in the anthill consume the collected supplies.

Ants living in northern Russia have been in suspended animation for almost 9 months without food. Most species do not hibernate in winter and remain active. They feed on pre-prepared livestock.

Complete transformation

In the anthill, life is in full swing and is constantly renewed. Like any insect, this forest guardian undergoes a number of transformations in its life. In addition, the stages of his life differ significantly functionally and externally. There are four known stages of ant development:

• adult (imago).
• chrysalis;
• larva;
• egg;

That is, all types of ants belong to insects with a full cycle of transformation, called holometabolism. As a rule, in most species the entire development process takes about a month.

Evolution [edit]

Like most external features of arthropods, the mouthparts of six-legged algae are highly developed. Insect mouthparts exhibit many different functional mechanisms across the wide variety of species considered insects. Of course, significant homology is retained when matching structures are formed from matching primordia and have the same evolutionary origin. On the other hand, even structures that are physically nearly identical and also have nearly identical functions may not be homologous; their similar functions and appearance may be the product of convergent evolution.

Examples of narrow food specialization

Some species of these insects are real gourmets and, instead of a varied diet, prefer some of their favorite dishes:

• Reapers prefer dried plant seeds. In order for them to be perfectly digested, they grind them to a pulp with the help of their strong jaws.
• Woodworms love resin, which is a source of carbohydrates. It is distinguished from a tree with damaged bark;
• Each of the ponerine subfamily feeds on its own favorite parasitic insect;
• Leaf cutters preserve tree leaves, which are pre-chewed to a pulp. The fungus develops quite quickly in it, and leaf cutters feed on it. They do not swallow leaves, since their stomachs are tender enough for coarse fiber;
• Dracula drinks the juice of his own larvae, which do not suffer at all from such actions. Adults catch and store large spiders, millipedes and other insects. They form the diet of growing offspring;
• Centromyrmex feeds only on termites, without consuming other food;

Ant jaws

The last letter of the letter is “s”

Answer for the question "Ant's jaws", 5 (five) letters: mandibles

Alternative crossword questions for the word mandible

Definition of the word mandible in dictionaries

Wikipedia Meaning of the word in the Wikipedia dictionary Mandibles, or Mandibles of the jaw of the oral apparatus of arthropods. In crustaceans, millipedes and insects they are used for gnawing and crushing food, and in social insects (ants, bees, wasps, bumblebees, termites) also for building nests.

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998. Meaning of the word in the dictionary Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998. Mandibles (mandibles) the first, or upper, pair of jaws in crustaceans, millipedes and insects; serve for gnawing and crushing food.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia Meaning of the word in the dictionary Great Soviet Encyclopedia mandibles (from Late Latin mandibula ≈ jaw), the first pair of jaws in crustaceans, millipedes and insects. The stomachs of forms with a gnawing mouthpart are equipped with various thickenings and teeth for gnawing and crushing food.

Examples of the use of the word mandibles in literature.

The edges of the crack tried to move away from each other, creaked like old mandibles, and suddenly froze.

He got ready for a fight: he bent his hindquarters back, his mandibles were spread to the max, his belly was tucked in, and all six paws strong as iron were trembling with readiness to rush into battle.

The little dragon had large compound eyes, sharp eyes like horns, and mandibles like incisors protruded from its mouth.

Huge jagged mandibles flashed, stones cracked under monstrous clawed paws that looked like polished steel spiked pillars.

He bit and licked the tassels especially carefully, passed them through the closed mandibles, biting them often, often, abundantly wetting the flexible jointed antennae with quickly drying saliva.

Source: Maxim Moshkov library

Source

Ants eat depending on their type

There are species of gourmet ants that prefer 1-2 constant foods to a varied diet:

• ponerini... This is a whole subfamily. Each of the species it feeds on is a specific insect parasite. They are rightly called foresters.
• carpenter ants ... The source of carbohydrates for this species is tree resin, which is released in areas damaged by the bark;
• Dracula These ants suck out the juice of their own larvae and the latter do not suffer much from this. Adult insects are engaged in catching large insects: spiders, centipedes, but do not eat them alone, but feed the younger generation;
• leaf cutter ant ... Insects of this species collect leaves from trees in their home, chew them thoroughly into a porridge and place them in special chambers. In the warm leaf mass, mushrooms quickly develop, which leaf cutters feed on. The foil itself is too rough for their delicate stomach;
• harvester ants. They feed on dried plant seeds. This food is poorly digestible, so insects grind it into pulp with their strong jaws;
• center of the company. They feed exclusively on termites;

Pumping insects[edit]

Australian thistle with its proboscis extended while feeding

This section considers only those insects that feed by sucking liquids, usually without first piercing the food, without wiping or licking. Common examples are adult moths and butterflies. As is common with insects, there are variations: some butterfly species, such as Serrodes

and
Achaea
, puncture fruit to such an extent that they are considered serious pests of orchards. [8] Some butterflies do not feed after emerging from the pupa and have greatly reduced, vestigial mouthparts or no mouthparts at all. All but a few adult Lepidoptera lack jaws (a superfamily known as mandibulate butterflies). have fully developed mandibles in adults), but also have remaining mouthparts in the form of an elongated sucking tube, the proboscis.

The proboscis of a butterfly, showing the structure of its two galleries

Proboscis [edit]

The proboscis, as seen in adult Lepidoptera, is one of the defining characteristics of the morphology of the order; it is a long tube formed by paired galeae of the maxilla. Unlike the sucking organs of other orders of insects, the proboscis of Lepidoptera can be rolled up so completely that it can fit under the head when not in use. However, during feeding it spreads, reaching the nectar of flowers or other liquids. In some specialized pollinators, the proboscis can be several times the length of the butterfly's body.

What do larvae eat?

Larvae are divided into two types:

• Needs feeding.
• Able to eat;

The first species feeds on dead insects and other protein foods. The second species feeds on semi-digested food from the esophagus of adult individuals.

Ants are unusual creatures. Energetic workers who bring great benefits to forests: they loosen the soil and destroy pests. They can cause great harm to gardeners and gardeners, as they feed on mature seedlings, leaves and roots in personal plots, as well as food supplies in a person’s home.

Sponge insects [edit]

Proboscis fly ( Gonia capitata

): note the prominent labial palps.

Labellum [edit]

The fly is a typical insect rub. The surface of the labellum is covered with tiny food channels formed by interconnected elongated hypopharynx and epipharynx, forming a proboscis used to direct liquid food into the esophagus. The alimentary canal draws liquid and liquefied food into the esophagus through capillary action. A housefly can eat solid food by secreting saliva and blotting the food with it. When saliva dissolves food, the solution is drawn into the mouth as a liquid. [9]

Mouthparts of insects

Insects are ubiquitous on our planet, occupy many ecological niches and, as a result, are adapted to feeding on a wide variety of food substrates.

This physical form is reflected in the structure of the insects' oral apparatus.

Development of the oral apparatus from the primitive chewing type in the locust in the center (A) to the gnawing-licking type in the bee (B), the tube-sucking type in the butterfly (C) and the piercing type. -sucking type in mosquito (D). Denominations: a – antennas; c – compound eyes; lb – lip; lr – lip; md – lower jaws; mx – jaw.

Any oral apparatus consists of a pair of mandibles (upper jaw), a pair of jaws (lower jaw), an upper lip (upper lip) and lips (lower lip). In all this apparent diversity, it is very easy to recognize the modified paired limbs of insects (we will talk about the evolution of insects in another article).

Gnaw

The oral apparatus is considered the most primitive and primary in all insects. It is designed to break down and absorb more or less solid food.

Examples: cockroaches, locusts, grasshoppers, beetles, bagpipes, sawsaws, ants. Some insects that lost such oral apparatus in the adult stage retained it in the larval stage (for example, butterfly caterpillars).

Grasshopper mouthpiece is ideal for chopping dense leaves

Nibble-lick

the mouthparts are characteristic of stinging hymenoptera, which visit flowering plants to eat nectar. Examples: bees, bumblebees, wasps.

Their upper jaw and upper lip are constructed in the same way as the gnawed mouthparts. They use their jaws to catch prey (wasps) and dig nests out of the ground (sand wasps), form pieces of wax (bees) or other materials to build their nests (paper wasps). The jaws and lower lip have developed into a long, retractable organ (usually called the ligule), which serves to penetrate into the depths of the flower and from there absorb nectar.

Hornet mouthparts. The upper jaw and uvula are clearly visible

Special modification – licking

mouthparts that come from flies and are suitable for eating both liquid and solid food. The mandibles and jaws contract, and the remaining organs become a proboscis. Develops in non-blood-sucking flies, including the housefly.

Carrion fly (Calliphora sp.) Mouthparts

Blowjob

The oral apparatus is developed in gadflies (Tabanidae) and some other dipterans. The jaws are elongated with sharp blades, and the jaws are long, piercing spikes. Both pairs of jaws cut and pierce the mammalian body, causing bleeding from the wound. This blood is collected from a spongy formation on the lower lip and delivered to the top of the pharynx, the parts of which fit tightly together, forming a tube through which the blood enters the esophagus.

Horsefly (Tabanus sp.). The lower jaw and lip are clearly visible. Jaws hidden

Piercing sucking

The oral apparatus of insects has developed for the consumption of liquid food, which for this purpose needs to pierce the food substrate. Examples: bed bugs (bed bugs, water bugs), isopters (aphids, cicadas, mealybugs and mealybugs), mosquitoes, lice, fleas, thrips, etc.

The base of the piercing-sucking mouthparts of bedbugs and related homoptera are 4 thin stylets (transformed lower jaws and jaws), enclosed in an articulated lower lip, which acts as a sheath. Through 2 channels formed by two pairs of opposite grooves on the inner surface of the jaw, saliva is injected into the puncture (lower channel) and liquid food is sucked out (upper channel).

The piercing-sucking oral apparatus of mosquitoes is formed by 6 stylets: in addition to thin lower jaws and jaws, elongated and obliquely cut in the upper part, like a syringe needle, the upper lip (carrying food) and the lower lip, the elongated hypopharynx (pharynx) (carrying saliva) is involved in perforation of the covers. In lice, thrips and fleas it has a slightly different structure.

List of names of ant body parts found in Russian-language literature.

List of names of ant body parts.
Abdomen - see abdomen. Antenna - see antenna. Arolium - found in some ants on the tips of their paws between the claws. Acidopora is the exit of a poisonous gland at the tip of the abdomen, usually elongated into a tube surrounded by a corolla of hairs. The thigh is part of the leg. Abdomen (abdomen) - can be round, elongated, heart-shaped. The upper plates of the abdomen are called tergites, the lower ones are called sternites. Tergites have spiracle openings. Trochanter is a small segment of the leg between the coxa (coxa) and the thigh. The upper lip is part of the ant's oral apparatus. The volsella is part of the male's external genitalia. Galea is part of the ant's mouthparts. Genitals are the external genitalia of the male. The eyes are the compound compound eyes of an ant. There are two of them. Usually consist of many facets. In some species they may consist of only a few facets. There are species of ants that have no eyes at all. The ocelli are simple ocelli of one facet. There are three of them. In some species, only sexual individuals have them. Some species do not have them. The shin is part of the leg. Head - consists of a head capsule containing eyes and simple ocelli (if any), antennae and mouthparts. Attached to the chest. The chest (mesosoma) is the central part of the ant’s body. Gular plate - a plate on the underside of the head between the mandibles. In American literature, the entire lower surface of the head is often referred to as the gula. Mandibles (mandibles) - upper jaws, often massive, in the form of wide plates, with a large number of teeth on the chewing edge, with a convex outer and concave inner edge, less often saber-shaped without teeth. The metanotum is part of the thorax. Well distinguishable in females and males. In working specimens it is fused with the epinotum. The back of the head is the area of ​​the head from the crown to the occipital foramen. The occipital edge of the head is the posterior edge of the head when looking at it directly from above. The cardo is part of the ant's mouthparts. Clypeus - see clypeus. Coxa (coxa) – the upper part of the leg. Copulatory apparatus - see genitals Paw - the lower part of the leg. Consists of five segments. The first segment is the longest. There are two claws at the end of the paw. Lacinia is part of the ant's mouthparts. The forehead is a part of the head without a clear boundary. It is located between the frontal ridges, bordering on the cheeks on the sides and the crown on top. The frontal sulcus is a groove extending upward from the frontal area. It can be long (up to the front eye), short or absent. Frontal ridges are grooves that can be straight or curved, parallel or diverging to the sides, long or short. In some species the frontal ridges are very short or not at all expressed. The frontal plate (frontal triangle) is a triangular plate between the antennae above the clypeus. Maxillae are part of the ant's mouthparts. Mandibles - see mandibles. Mesopleura - the sides of the mesothorax in working individuals. Mesonotum - see mesonotum. Mesosoma - see chest. Metapleural glands are paired glands that secrete antibiotic substances, and sometimes also alarm pheromones and repellents to protect against enemies. Metasoma – stalk and abdomen taken together. Metanotum - see metanotum. Clypeus (clypeus) - is a square, triangular, semicircular or trapezoidal plate. The anterior edge of the clypeus is straight, slightly convex or concave, sometimes with a notch in the middle or with denticles on the sides; the posterior margin is angular. The surface of the clypeus is often convex, less often with a longitudinal keel, sometimes with several longitudinal ridges or transverse depression. On the sides of the clypeus in the upper part there are clypeus pits. The lower lip is part of the ant's oral apparatus. Consists of a lorum, a prementum with a pair of labial palps, paraglossae and a uvula formed by fused glossae. The mandibular palps are part of the ant's oral apparatus. Pronotum (pronotum) is the front part of the ant's chest. Pleurite (mesopleura) is part of the chest. Pronotum - see pronotum. Propodeum (epinotum) - the back of the chest. Propodeal spiracles - paired spiracles on the propodeum (epinotum). Psammophore is a special device for carrying dry soil, common among desert ants. Formed by long erect hairs (ammochaetes) located on the lower surface of the head. Pterostigma is a thickening at the leading edge of the wing. The sagitta is part of the external genitalia of the male. Sensillae are erect hairs on the last antennal segments. They are organs of touch. The squamula is part of the male's external genitalia. Scutellum - part of the chest of females and males Scutum - part of the chest of females and males Mesothoracic spiracles - paired spiracles located on the mesopropodeal suture. The mesonotum (mesonotum) is part of the chest. Petiolus - consists of one segment (petiolus) or two segments (petiolus and postpetiolus). If it consists of one segment, it often develops into a transverse lobe, called a scale. The scale can be vertical or inclined forward. Less commonly, the petiolus may be cylindrical (Tapinoma) or nodular (some Cataglyphis). On the contrary, in species with a 2-segmented stalk the shape of the petiolus is most often nodular, with a developed node of various shapes and, as a rule, an elongated anterior cylindrical part, less often cylindrical (Myrmecina). The postpetiolus in these species is more or less spherical in shape. The prothorax sternite is part of the chest. The mesothorax sternite is part of the chest. Stipes is part of the oral or genital (copulatory) apparatus of an ant. The subgenital plate is part of the external genitalia of the male. Basin - see coke. The crown is the surface of the head immediately behind the ocelli. Behind the crown of the head to the foramen magnum is the occiput. The antennae (antenna) is geniculate in ants. The antenna consists of a handle (scape) and a flagellum. The last segments of the flagellum in some species are enlarged and form a club. Antennae pits are depressions at the edge of the clypeus. Place of attachment of antennae. The cervical region is formed by the fusion of the cervical sclerites and pleurites of the prothorax. Movably articulates with the pronotum. A spur is a protrusion on the lower leg. The cheek is the area of ​​the head from the lower edge of the eyes to the attachment point of the mandibles (mandibles). Epimera - the lateral parts of the chest of females and males. Epinotum - see propodeum. Episternum - the lateral parts of the chest of females and males.

Useful video

In this video you will learn more about insect nutrition:

Myrmoteras ant

Adrian Smith/YouTube

American scientists have studied the mechanism of the jaws of ants of the genus Mirmoteras. To do this, they filmed representatives of two myrmothere colonies while catching food with their jaws and studied their internal and external structure. Scientists have found that Myrmoteras can close its jaws in 0.62 milliseconds, and the mechanism for increasing the force of the blow is one of a kind. The article was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology

.

Speed ​​is one of the fundamental aspects of survival in the animal kingdom, helping both to obtain food and to escape from the enemy. Speed ​​is often limited by the muscle potential of the limbs, but some animals have evolved special mechanisms to increase strength. For example, power-up mechanisms allow mantis shrimp to have very powerful legs, which help them move quickly and attack opponents effectively. Some ant species use such mechanisms to increase the strength of their outer mandibles (jaws), allowing them to capture prey or hide from an enemy. Among the four known genera of ants with this mechanism, the least studied genus is Myrmoteras (lat.

), which lives in Southeast Asia.

The authors of the new work studied the speed of movement and the muscle mechanism responsible for strengthening the jaws of myrmotherase ants. Jaw movements during grasping were recorded using a high-speed video camera at 50 thousand frames per second, and the internal and external structure of the jaw enlargement mechanism was examined using computed microtomography (X-ray microtomography). X) and post-mortem stereomicroscope

.

An analysis of the speed of jaw movement showed that in a calm state, myrmotheres keep their jaws open 280 degrees, and when capturing prey, they close it in an average of 0.62 milliseconds, and the force-to-mass ratio is approximately 0.62 milliseconds; their jaws are 21 kW / kg . These figures are almost two times lower than those of ants of another genus with “reinforced” jaws (odontomachi), however, according to scientists, such strength and speed are enough to allow Myrmoteras to hunt effectively, and the speed and strength itself is explained by the fact that their lower jaws are longer and thinner than those of toothaches.

Analysis of the internal and external morphology of the mandibles in closed and open states revealed the structure of the amplification mechanism, as well as its operation. Thus, the lower jaw of the ant is attached to the muscular structure of the head with the help of an apodeme - a chitinous covering. There are two groups responsible for jaw movements: opening and closing. The tunica muscle group occupies a quarter of the total volume of the ant's head and is divided into two parts: the "fast" tunica muscle, which is composed of muscle tissues that contract frequently, and the "slow" muscle, composed of muscle tissues that contract more slowly.

The structure of the head of the myrmotheras ant. Red is the “slow” closing muscle, blue is the “fast” muscle, white is the opening muscle, gold is the apodeme. The lower jaw is indicated in purple

Larabee et al. / Journal of Experimental Biology 2017

Scientists have discovered that a spring mechanism located at the back of the ant's head is responsible for the reinforcement mechanism. Slow twitch muscle tissue “charges” the spring mechanism and often activates its contraction. Such a complex mechanism for strengthening the jaws is unique: other representatives of similar species of ants, as a rule, have inelastic mechanisms consisting of only two separate muscles - closing and opening.

You can read how other ants, odontomachi, use their jaws to escape from enemies in ours.

Elizaveta Ivtushok

Ants are insects that do not recognize loneliness and live in colonies. An anthill is an underground dwelling with a large number of chambers. They are connected to each other by moves. A flock of ants is placed on top of the nest to raise their young. They can also settle on rotten trees and stumps, which they rearrange for a comfortable life.

Video about ants:

How do ants' mouthparts work?

Ants have a nibbled type of mouthparts, which can be roughly divided into three parts: the upper and lower lips and jaws, with which the insect chews food. The jaws can be large and small, sharp and blunt, smooth and serrated, overlapping or closed - this directly depends on the type of Hymenoptera. Ants have a small tongue on their lower lip, which is an organ of taste.

Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, although only males and females can fly, and simple workers move exclusively with the help of their legs.

Red ants have very sharp and powerful jaws

Links[edit]

1. A Latin dictionary based on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin Dictionary, revised by Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. And. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879

• Encarta Premium 2005 DVD Reference Library.

[1]

1. Lars Reindhart; Kevin Weibing; Tobias Siebert; Benjamin Wipfler (November 11, 2015). "Fast and powerful: biomechanics and jaw bite force in the American cockroach Periplaneta americana". PLOS ONE
   . Retrieved June 23, 2022.

Ant food

Ants use a variety of products for food: from natural (plant or animal) to synthetic ones, from which we prepare semi-finished products. Each type of ant “specializes” in one type of food, so it is impossible to unambiguously determine what absolutely all representatives of this family eat. For example, nomadic ants at all stages of their development feed exclusively on other insects.

Adult ants eat easily digestible carbohydrate foods:

• tree sap.
• peanut;
• seeds and rhizomes of plants;
• fruits;

Omnivorous ants also feed on honeydew (the sweet secretions of some insects), and at home these insects feed mainly on sugar, honey and jam.

Some insects and caterpillars that produce honeydew have adapted to living near the anthill: they feed on goosebumps (which is allowed) and in return produce a sweet substance. Such an interesting symbiosis.

At home, ants eat mostly sweets.

The larvae feed mainly on protein foods of animal origin. In the wild, these are often the remains of other larger insects or animals, as well as pest eggs. At home, they eat all dairy products and egg dishes, they can even eat jelly, which has a positive effect on their growth and development.

The queen feeds in the same way as the larvae - protein food, but receives it in a more convenient form for consumption, already chewed by other ants.

The queen and larvae feed on protein foods

Symbiosis for food

Ants eat several times a day, so there should always be plenty of food. If insects prefer honeydew (for example, redwood or carpenter ants), then they move after those colonies that can provide them with this substance.

Aphids are considered a real “cash cow” for ants, which they have literally tamed. Aphids, feeding on plant sap, secrete a very tasty sugary substance that goosebumps love to feast on. To make this food constant, ants “tame” even a small insect: they transfer it into their mouths onto new fresh leaves and wait for their “ladybug” to produce honeydew.

Ants specifically “plant” aphids on new plants so that they drink the juice and form honeydew

Piercing and sucking insects[edit]

A number of orders of insects (or, more precisely, their families) have mouthparts that pierce food to enable the internal fluid to be sucked. Some are herbivores, such as aphids and leafhoppers, while others are carnivorous, such as killer insects and mosquitoes (females only).

Proboscis [edit]

A distinctive feature of the order Hemiptera is the presence of an oral apparatus, the jaws and upper jaws are transformed into a proboscis, enclosed in a modified lip shell, which is capable of piercing tissues and sucking out liquids. For example, true beetles such as scale insects feed on plant fluids. Predatory insects such as assassin beetles have similar mouthparts, but are used to pierce the cuticle of captured prey.

Stiletto [edit]

Mosquito bites human finger

Female mosquitoes have all elongated mouthparts. The labrum covers the rest of the mouth like a vagina. The upper lip forms the main feeding tube through which blood is absorbed. There are paired jaws and maxillae, which together form a stylet used to pierce the animal's skin. During piercing, the lip remains outside the skin of the food product, bending away from the stylet. Saliva containing anticoagulants is injected into the food and blood is sucked out through different tubes.

Garden pests and their bugs

One of the serious enemies of gardeners is the black garden ant. The species is omnivorous, but given a choice, ants eat the sweet secretions of aphids. If there are no aphids in the garden, the “shepherds” will carefully take them with them, because ants and aphids live in close symbiosis. Pests collect honeydew aphids and bring them to an anthill, which they set up in any place convenient for them:

• in the crack under the window sill.
• house wall;
• old stump;
• the soil;

In the last two cases they enter the house. In the house, garden ants eat everything they find, justifying their omnivorous behavior. Having found sweet food - sugar or honey, the garden pest will take it to the anthill. In the garden, they can also not only breed aphids, but also harm plants. According to gardeners, in the spring, representatives of the “black garden” species are fed with young cabbage seedlings. Climbing into the hives for honey, these insects harm beekeepers.

Ant food

In the garden and vegetable garden, ants are the same as their wild relatives who breed aphids. In addition, they spoil the fruits and suck the juice from the plants. They do not run past vegetables planted in beds, or rather seeds planted in the ground. Often, without waiting for sprouts, you need to sow carrots and onions again.

In the garden and vegetable garden, ants spoil the fruits and suck the juice from the plants

A large number of ant colonies in the garden leads to acidification of the soil, and only sorrel grows well in the garden if the pests do not take the seeds.

The main harm caused by arthropod pests in the garden:

• destroy trees, gnaw the bark and trunks inside;
• increase soil acidity;
• bred aphids;
• eat fruits and vegetables;
• destroy the beds;
• bite and infect pets with diseases.
• spoil the berries by drinking juice;
• destroy flowers and buds;
• spread plant diseases, mites;

Ants carry plant diseases, mites

By eating everything in the garden and vegetable garden, ants spoil plants and flowers. Trying to get to the beebread, they gnaw the petals and disfigure them. In addition, aphids are carried onto young shoots of roses and other ornamental shrubs. Strawberries do not have time to ripen and are already eaten by insects.

Wintering of insects

Ants “die” for a long time only during wintering, and then during hibernation. Many representatives of these insects fill their homes during the cold season and continue to stay awake, feeding on previously collected supplies.

Harvester ants, whose diet consists of 97% of seeds of various plants, collect up to a kilogram of these products in the warm season and quietly eat them all winter. In the cold season there are no larvae, so protein food is not needed.

Ants hibernate in cold temperatures (below -10°C) and wake up when it gets warmer, so they endure the winter in complete calm.

If the winter is warm, ants continue to stay awake on the lower floors of their house

Ants living in human houses do not even prepare for winter - there is always food, the temperature is normal.