Bulldog ant - description, appearance, danger to humans

Dangerous bulldog ant - description of the insect and appearance. Habitat of the Australian ant. What does their diet consist of? Features of the life cycle, development, reproduction and arrangement of colonies. What harm can they do to a person?

Science knows a huge number of species of ants, there are approximately 13,000 of them. They all differ in habitat, appearance, diet and have many features. Most of these representatives prefer a warm climate; about 1,200 species live in Australia alone.

One of the largest representatives is the bulldog ant, which people try to avoid. It is simply impossible not to notice such a bug; they are quite large in size and have a terrifying appearance.

Appearance

Individuals of this species are large, reaching 4.5 cm in length, and the uterus is always large. Externally, the body is very similar to a wasp, only there are no wings. There are pronounced jaws, which are two processes on one side with notches, the length of the jaws is 0.3 cm. In addition to quite impressive jaws, they also have a sting. They may have a black or red body color.

Residents of Austria are very well aware of the danger that these ants pose, so when they see at least one individual they try to avoid the territory so as not to collide with an anthill. You can see what an Australian bulldog looks like in the photo.

The insects are quite aggressive and can attack people with a sting. The consequences of such an attack are very serious, cause complications and can lead to death. Based on statistics, 3-4% of people who are stung by these ants die. The fact is that when they bite, they release a potent poison, which immediately enters the bloodstream and develops an allergic reaction.

This species has another feature, it lies in the method of movement. They can cover distances by jumping; they do it in different ways. There may be one fairly large jump at a distance of 50 cm, or several at a distance of 10-12 cm. They do not make such jumps with the help of their paws. The jump occurs due to a sharp movement of strong jaws.

general characteristics

The insects got their name due to the unique structure of their jaws. The ability to capture and hold prey, to attack and defend itself is ensured precisely by barbs of varying lengths. It is not possible for the victim to escape from such an “embrace.”

Moreover, due to the work of their jaws, insects are able to make jumps: up to forty centimeters in length and up to eight in height. This helps them avoid becoming easy prey for lizards and other food seekers.

Bulldog ants can easily be considered the largest: their length can reach four centimeters. In terms of external structure, they resemble wasps without wings; large eyes increase the similarity. A powerful poisonous sting is also one of the distinguishing features of these huge insects.

A working bulldog ant can lift 50 times its own weight . Dragging a large cockroach to the habitat of the larvae does not cause any difficulties for the insect.

Despite their belligerence, bull ants (another name for bulldogs) are unusually hardworking. In addition to getting food, they are forced to dig deep passages deep into the earth. The insects' habitat is the arid regions of Australia. For the development of larvae, moistened layers of soil are required, which is why anthills go far down into the underground floors. Although the internal structure of the home is quite simple and primitive.

One of the most dangerous species is the black bulldog ant. They are territorial insects and fight not only with representatives of other colonies, but also with each other. Anthills are mounds up to 60 centimeters high or hidden deep under stones. They move mainly by jumping.

The number of species of bulldog ants reaches ninety, the most common of which are red ones. All of them are dangerous to humans; the poison is synthesized on a protein basis and has a strong effect.

Interesting fact . Bull ants are able to swim across water obstacles up to 15 centimeters wide. And some of them can talk - there are notches on their backs that cause a characteristic crackling sound, even more audible than that of cicadas.

Habitat

As already mentioned, they are inhabitants of Australia, since it is here that there are ideal conditions in which they can live and reproduce normally. They build their anthills underground, and their passages go deep down.

The fact is that in this way they provide themselves with the necessary level of humidity, since they cannot tolerate drought. Regarding the number of colonies, they can vary significantly, some consist of 100 individuals, and some reach 1000.

Lifestyle

Bulldog ants inhabit regions covered with dense forest. They build nests in well-lit clearings. Each colony of bulldog ants consists of 500-1000 individuals. At the head of the colony is the queen. The body of bulldog ants is long (20-25 millimeters), elegant with a thin waist and high limbs. With their help, they easily pursue prey. The body of bulldog ants is covered with short hairs. Their distinctive feature is long, powerful mandibles with serrations on the inside.

Habitat

Black and red bulldog ants (Myrmecia gulosa) live in Australia. To survive, they create underground anthills, the labyrinths of which go down. Insects prefer moist soil for normal reproduction. The Australian tropics have the necessary humidity and moderate aridity for the normal existence of this type of ant. A large number of insects live on the territory of the island. Tasmania.

Red bulldog ant

The bull ant is still found on the islands of New Caledonia. Tropical humidity allows insects to create colonies consisting of 100-1000 individuals. This ant species was introduced to New Zealand.

Diet

• Adults mainly feed on plant sap or nectar. They attack other insects only to feed their offspring. For the larvae to grow, they bring their prey to the nests.
• Thanks to their strong jaws and the presence of a poisonous sting, they can easily cope with insects that are much larger than themselves, but they cannot choose victims that are 2-10 times larger. Since a colony of ants represents a family where there are separate castes for specific work, the workers are engaged in hunting.

• It is also worth saying that black individuals are more aggressive and more dangerous than red representatives of this species. One black insect can lift a weight that is 50 times the weight of its own body. This makes it possible to bring large spiders, butterflies and wasps as prey.
• Working bulldog ants have one more feature. They can lay trophic eggs. They have nothing in common with their offspring. This is done so that during a period of drought, when hunting does not allow the entire colony to feed normally, the eggs become part of the diet. These eggs are very rich in essential nutrients.
• As already mentioned, a colony of ants is divided into several castes, which have a specific function and perform work. This species is divided into a caste of working individuals, females and males. They all differ in size. The largest females, whose task is to give birth to offspring. The working caste also consists of females, but they are sterile. The task of workers is to build nests, get food, care for the female and raise offspring.

Social organization of an anthill

At the head of the colony is the queen. Its main function is offspring. Outwardly, it differs little from a working ant, only with a wider chest. This fact is characteristic of the lower stage of insect development and also confirms the primitiveness of bulldog ants.

The rest of the mass of insects consists of worker ants - sterile females. Their responsibilities include building an anthill, caring for the queen, eggs, larvae, obtaining food and protecting the anthill.

Despite living together in a colony, bulldog ants hunt alone. They are able to cope even with wasps and mole crickets.

This fact is noteworthy : if an ant cannot cope with its prey, the others will definitely help it.

In the immediate vicinity of the anthill, two or three guards are constantly on duty, and at the slightest alarm they give a danger signal. After receiving it, hundreds of ants almost instantly appear on the surface and attack the stranger.

Life cycle and reproduction

The larvae mature once a year, then the colony begins to mature. This is the period when sexually mature young individuals mate and leave the colony. The males all die, but the females go to look for a new place to establish a colony.

It is worth saying that the process when newborn bulldogs try to get out of the cocoon is natural selection, in which adult ants do not take any part. The strongest are chosen, but the weak cannot cope with this task and die.

During the year, the colony is renewed, but the female lives up to 20 years and produces offspring all this time. The female is ready for fertilization at the moment when her wings grow. She leaves the nest and goes in search of the strongest male. After mating, the male dies, and the female returns to create new offspring.

The life cycle is 3 years, but not all individuals are able to live for such a long period. This is due to many factors, for example, weather conditions, lack of food, predators. A fairly large proportion of insects die very early; such individuals are weak and unable to withstand harsh conditions.

Regarding worker goosebumps, they are females that do not have reproductive functions. Therefore, throughout their entire life cycle, they work, get food, feed the offspring and care for the female.

All insects of this species live in a colony; it is quite difficult to survive on their own. This species is considered the most underdeveloped of all representatives. This applies not only to external characteristics, but also to the behavior of insects themselves. Although even with such characteristics they are quite smart and can live and develop in huge colonies.

The nest is guarded around the clock. There are constantly guards at the entrances to the anthill, who attack anyone who wants to enter the colony. They fight desperately, using strong jaws and a poisonous sting. There are uterine parasites.

These are queens that are ready to reproduce, but they were unable to create their own colony. Therefore, they can penetrate an already prepared anthill, kill the queen and take her place. In such cases, the working caste does not resist in any way, they simply have a new “queen”, whom, like the previous one, they serve faithfully.

Features of behavior

Bull ants live in large colonies - from several hundred to several thousand individuals. These insects thrive in the arid areas of the Australian continent. But since the development of larvae requires a moistened substrate, some species of ants have to dig deep tunnels in the soil. Other representatives nest on rotting wood.

Bulldog insects are characterized by aggression and incredible strength. You can often observe how the ant attacks large arthropods and even wins fights with spiders and wasps.

Interesting Facts:

Some representatives of bull ants have special notches at the junctions of body segments. When these notches rub, characteristic sounds are produced, with the help of which insects communicate. Bulldog ants can swim, so small streams on their way are not an obstacle for them.

Danger to humans

As we have already been able to understand, the presence of a poisonous sting and huge, strong jaws pose a danger to humans. If we compare them with a wasp, then unlike it, ants can use their sting several times, and not just once. If we further draw a parallel between the bite of a wasp and the bite of a bulldog ant, then the bite of a goosebump is equal to 3 wasps.

If a person suffers from allergic reactions, then such an attack will be fatal for him. After the first bite, anaphylactic shock develops. The attacks also cause an increase in body temperature, redness of the skin, and severe itching that is observed throughout the body.

If a person is attacked by one individual, then this may not cause serious complications, but in the case when several bites cause goosebumps, this in most cases leads to death.

Local residents know well how a collision with anthills can end, so they always avoid them. Of course, they are not the kind of insects that specifically attack people, but if their territory is touched and they sense danger, they fight desperately and defend theirs.

Literature

• Bolton Barry. (). A new general catalog of the ants of the world
  . — Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. — 504 pp.
• Clark, John. (). The Formicidae of Australia.
  Vol. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae. — CSIRO, Melbourne. - 1951. - 230 pp.
• Gokhman Vladimir E.
  Karyotypes of Parasitic Hymenoptera. - Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Science & Business Media, 2009. - ISBN 978-1-4020-9807-9.
• Hölldobler Bert, Wilson Edward O.
  The Ants. - Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1990. - ISBN 0-674-04075-9.
• Ogata, Kazuo.
  Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a review of the species groups and their phylogenetic relationships (English) // Systematic Entomology: Journal. - 1991. - Vol. 16. - P. 353-381.

Symptoms of a bite

When attacking, the insect uses both fangs and a sting. When a sting is used, a toxic substance enters the body through it. It is impossible not to feel it; they are quite painful, since they do not have pain-relieving enzymes. Swelling and redness immediately appears on the skin.

When an allergy occurs, a person feels severe weakness and a headache appears. Also, a person’s blood pressure drops sharply and their heartbeat fluctuates. Dense inflammatory foci appear at the site of the bite. The limbs and larynx begin to swell.

If a person is bitten by a bulldog ant, first aid must be provided immediately. It is necessary to treat the wound with any alcohol solution; it is mandatory to take antihistamines if a person has allergies. Unfortunately, for a child, the bite is much more dangerous, as it causes immediate swelling and respiratory arrest.

If you like to travel, for walks in tropical areas, you will need the help of local residents. They know very well what they look like and what places to avoid. The danger is great enough that there is no risk.

Phylogeny

Genetic evidence suggests that the genus Myrmecia

diverged from other closely related groups of ants about 100 million years ago.
The subfamily Myrmeciinae was discovered in fossil form about 110 million years ago. According to other data, the age of the most modern common ancestor of the genera Myrmecia
and
Nothomyrmecia
is about 74 million years.
The closest non-ant living relatives of Myrmecia
are found among the Vespoidea wasps.
The following cladogram has been proposed showing the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Myrmecia
:

Myrmecia

Description

The length of working ants is 12-14 mm: females - 14-16, males - 11-12 mm. Almost the entire body is black (head, chest, petiole, postpetiole, abdomen, thighs), mandibles, antennae, tibiae and tarsi are yellow. The antennae consist of 12 segments. Mandibles are long and straight with many teeth. The eyes are large. The head is covered with thin longitudinal grooves, between which there are fine punctures. The head is slightly wider than its length (by about 1/6). The antennal scape extends beyond the occipital margin of the head. The pronotum (twice as long as its width) in the middle bears longitudinal grooves (rounded on the sides), larger and closer together than on the head. Mesonotum and anterior part of epinotum also with longitudinal grooves; posterior part of epinotum (including inclined surface) with transverse grooves. The petiole is 20% wider than its length, and the postpetiole is strongly convex in all directions and almost twice as wide as its length. Postpetiole of petiolus and abdomen with micropunctures. The body is covered with short, erect, gray hairs; they are comparatively longer and more abundant on the abdomen, and longest on the mandibles; very short and semi-erect on the legs and absent on the antennae.

Head and mandibles

Emblem

Reconstruction of the Endeavor on which Myrmecia gulosa
arrived in London.

Ant Myrmecia gulosa

is the emblem of the Australian Entomological Society. This choice is due both to its noticeable "biting behavior" and to the fact that it was one of the very first insect species collected and scientifically described from Australia. First specimen of Myrmecia gulosa

(Fabricius, 1775) was collected at New Holland by naturalist Joseph Banks in 1770 during James Cook's first expedition.
This ant, along with other early Australian insects (the weevil Chrysolopus spectabilis
, a butterfly and two flies), was transported to Europe on the ship Endeavor at the end of the expedition.
This first ant is currently preserved in good condition in the Joseph Banks Collection
(Natural History Museum, London).
Fabricius, visiting this museum once again, discovered a new species for science in this worker ant, and a few years later he isolated it into a separate genus Myrmecia
.

Notes

1. Brown, William (1953). "Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia
   of Australia".
   Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 111
   (6): 1–35.
2. Johnson, Norman F.
   [osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/nomenclator.name_entry?text_entry=Myrmecia+pilosula&Submit=Submit
   Myrmecia pilosula
   Smith].
   Hymenoptera Name Server version 1.5
   . Columbus, Ohio, USA: Ohio State University (19 December 2007). Retrieved April 1, 2022.
3. Striganova B. R., Zakharov A. A.
   Five-language dictionary of animal names: Insects (Latin-Russian-English-German-French) / Ed. Doctor of Biology sciences, prof. B. R. Striganova. - M.: RUSSO, 2000. - P. 293. - 1060 copies. — ISBN 5-88721-162-8.
4. Brown, Simon G. A. (2001). “[www.mja.com.au/public/issues/175_12_171201/brown/brown.html Fatal anaphylaxis following jack jumper ant sting in southern Tasmania].” Medical Journal of Australia 175
   (11): 644–647. PMID 11837875.
5. Matuszek, M. A., Hodgson, W. C., Sutherland, S. K., King, R. G. (1992). Pharmacological studies of jumper ant Myrmecia pilosula venom: evidence for the presence of histamine and haemolytic and eicosanoid-releasing factors. Toxicon. 9: 1081—1091
6. Street, M.D., Donovan, G.R., Baldo, B.A., Sutherland, S. (1994). Immediate allergic reactions to Myrmecia ant stings: immuniochemical analysis of Myrmecia venoms. Clin. Exper. Allergy. 24: 590—597
7. [science.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=48.13784.23608.0.0 Discovery Channel: Killer Ants
   ]
8. Brown, S. G. A., Franks, R. W., Baldo, B. A., Heddle, R. J. (2003). Prevalence, severity, and natural history of jack jumper ant venom allergy in Tasmania. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 111: 187–192
9. ↑ 1 2 Steve Shattuck and Natalie Barnett,.
   [anic.ento.csiro.au/ants/biota_details.aspx?BiotaID=37534 Myrmecia pilosula Smith, 1858] (English).
   Ants Down Under
   . Copyright 2005-2011 CSIRO Australia (www.Anic.ento.csiro.au) (2011). Retrieved July 20, 2011. [www.webcitation.org/67fGygris Archived from the original on May 15, 2012].
10. Richard Harris & Jo Berry.
    [www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biocons/invertebrates/Ants/invasive_ants/documents/15.pdf Myrmecia pilosula (Smith)] (English).
    Information Sheet, Number 15
    (unavailable link -
    history
    ). Biosecurity New Zealand (www.Landcareresearch.co.nz). Retrieved 20 July 2011. [web.archive.org/20100518113839/www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biocons/invertebrates/Ants/invasive_ants/documents/15.pdf Archived from the original on 18 May 2010].
11. A. Lima de Faria “Praise of the “stupidity” of the chromosome,” M.: BINOM. Knowledge Laboratory, 2012, P. 209, ISBN 978-5-9963-0148-5

↑ Interesting facts

• An encounter with a bulldog ant can be extremely dangerous for humans. A bite from a bulldog ant's poisonous stinger is comparable to the bite of two or three wasps, and causes a severe allergic reaction. There is a high chance of getting anaphylactic shock, which can cause paralysis or even death. There is evidence of human deaths from bulldog ant bites.
• A working bulldog ant is capable of lifting and moving loads up to 50 times its own weight. He can single-handedly bring an adult mole cricket or cockroach to the nest.

Class - Insects

Order - Hymenoptera

Suborder - Stalk-bellied

Family - Ants

Species - Bulldog Ants

This is interesting: TOP 10 unusual facts about fish

Pest distribution areas

Every second person considers ants to be extremely harmless and beneficial, because they eat weak insects and destroy the bodies of dead living beings. But black ants bring not only benefits to the site:

• they grow aphids, which draw juices from plants;
• spoil the lawn;
• harm the roots and leaves of plants, gnaw edible root vegetables and sweet berries, spreading their acid to them;
• They spread bacteria that stick to their paws throughout the area, infecting plants and soil.

Domestic black ants are also dangerous:

• bring pathogenic bacteria from places where garbage accumulates, toilets and technical premises into the apartment;
• spoil food;
• they store food throughout the house, which spoils over time, which creates conditions for the appearance of mold fungi;
• They collect unnecessary garbage, excrement and food scraps outside their home, but on the territory of the apartment.

If you suddenly see even one insect, immediately begin getting rid of unnecessary neighbors.

Red ants are native to India and were once brought to Europe on merchant ships. In the cooler climate zone of Russia, insects create their colonies only where it is warm all year round - in human homes. This type of ant does not hibernate, so it is not able to survive the winter in natural conditions.

Thanks to their small size, a huge family of ants can fit into a shallow crevice

It is not at all difficult for nimble miniature insects to get into a house: cracks in the floor and walls are like a main entrance for them. Red ants do not build anthills. They settle in secluded, hard-to-reach places in the apartment, where they feel completely safe:

• in any cracks and cracks in the finishing;
• in cavities behind baseboards, peeling wallpaper, peeling linoleum;
• under kitchen cabinets, refrigerator;
• inside household appliances.

Literature

• Crosland, M. W. J. (1988). Effect of a gregarine parasite on the color of Myrmecia pilosula (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 81: 481–484.
• Davies, N. W., Wiese, M. D., Brown, S. G. A. (2004). Characterization of major peptides in 'jack jumper' ant venom by mass spectrometry. Toxicon. 43: 173–183.
• Ford, S. A., Baldo, B. A., Weiner, J., Sutherlands, S. (1991). Identification of jack-jumper ant (Myrmecia pilosula) venom allergens. Clin. Exper. Allergy. 21: 167–171.
• Hirai, H., Yamamoto, M.-T., Ogura, K., Satta, Y., Yamada, M., Taylor, R. W., Imai, H. T. (1994). Multiplication of 28S rDNA and NOR activity in chormosome evolution among ants of the Myrmecia pilosula species complex. Chromosoma (Berlin). 103: 171–178.
• Ogata, K.
  Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a review of the species groups and their phylogenetic relationships (English) // Systematic Entomology. - 1991. - Vol. 16. - P. 353–381.
• Ogata, K. and R. W. Taylor.
  Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (English) // Journal of Natural History. - 1991. - Vol. 25. - P. 1623–1673.
• Williams, M. A. (1991). Insecticidal control of Myrmecia pilosula F. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society. 30: 93-94.
• Hölldobler, Bert & Wilson, Edward O. (1990), The Ants
  , Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-04075-9
• Smith, Frederick.
  Catalog of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum part VI. - London: British Museum, 1858.

Classification

The species Myrmecia pilosula was first described in 1858 by the English entomologist Frederick Smith ( F. Smith

) in his major work
Catalog of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum part VI
based on materials from Hobart (Tasmania).
Smith described a worker, a female and a male. kept in the British Museum in London. In 1922, American entomologist William Morton Wheeler established the subgenus Halmamyrmecia
, characterizing its members' jumping behavior, and designated Myrmecia pilosula as the type species.
However, myrmecologist John Clarke later synonymized Halmamyrmecia
with the subgenus
Promyrmecia
(this occurred in a 1927 publication) and placed the species in that subgenus in 1943.
American myrmecologist William Brown synonymized Promyrmecia
due to the lack of strong morphological evidence distinguishing it from all other members of the genus
Myrmecia
and later included the species directly within the genus in 1953.

The specific name M. pilosula comes from the Latin word pilose

(covered with hairs).

The black bulldog ant is part of the Myrmecia pilosula

species complex, first described as a group by the Italian myrmecologist Carlo Emery.
This complex is a monophyletic group of morphologically similar taxa, but genetically distant from each other. This group includes the taxa M. apicalis
,
M. chasei
,
M. chrysogaster
,
M. croslandi
,
M. cydista
,
M. dispar
,
M. elegans
,
M. harderi
,
M. ludlowi
,
M. michaelseni
,
M. occidentalis M Queenslandica
,
M. rugosa
and
M. varians
.
In 2015, new species in this group were described, such as M. banksi
,
M. haskinsorum
,
M. imaii
and
M. impaternata
.

One of the synonyms of this species is Ponera ruginoda

(aka
Myrmecia ruginoda
) was described by Smith in the same work, and the male holotype was originally described for this synonym.
Ponera ruginoda
was originally included in the genera
Ectatomma
and
Rhytidoponera
, but was later classified as a junior synonym after comparison of the type specimens.

Cases of ant attacks on people

Dangerous insects live in tropical countries and live all year round. The danger of being bitten arises among local residents and tourists. Every year, the most striking cases of insect attacks with severe outcomes are recorded in America, Africa, and Australia.

In 1999, two cases of red ant attacks on elderly people living in a nursing home were recorded in the United States. They were in the room, were in bed at the time of the attack, and did not provoke the insects in any way. Multiple bites followed one after another. One man died after 5 days, the second - after 14 days. Medical assistance was provided, but the desired therapeutic effect was not achieved.

Since 1991, 8 indoor poisonous ant attacks have been reported in 6 US states. In each case the consequences are different. The infant fell into a coma but survived. A two-year-old boy's cornea was damaged by insects and emergency surgery was required. 2 old people died a week after the incident. 8 victims did not experience serious consequences and went home after receiving first aid.

The following conclusion suggests itself: each organism perceives ant poison in its own way, some experience death, others get off with a slight fright. In any case, when going on vacation to tropical countries, you need to be aware of the danger, since the immunity of our people may be unadapted to attacks from exotic creatures. Be sure to have an antihistamine with you, which is taken as quickly as possible after an insect bite.

With an increased tendency to allergies, the entry of poison into the blood leads to a deterioration in overall health, since the neurotoxin disrupts the functions of the vascular system.

Observed:

• Weakness;
• Dizziness;
• Headache;
• Nausea;
• Diarrhea;
• Vomit;
• Impaired movement coordination;
• Increased body temperature.

The condition returns to normal within a few days or after taking antihistamines and antiallergic drugs.

Signs of a dangerous allergy:

• Difficulty breathing;
• Edema of the larynx;
• Heart rhythm disturbances;
• Changes in blood pressure;
• Loss of consciousness.

Anaphylactic shock develops within 15 minutes after an ant attack. If an antihistamine, decongestant, or anticonvulsant drug is not administered in a timely manner, the person dies.

Gourmet ants, or examples of narrow food specialization

Among ants there are a large number of species that prefer to eat only one or two products instead of a large variety of food. Among these types are the following:

• Leaf-cutter ants are one of the few living creatures in general that have learned to engage in agriculture. They collect pieces of leaves in the anthill, bitten by foragers, chew these leaves into a pasty mass, put them in special chambers in the nest, which act as greenhouses, and feed on the mushrooms developing in the leaf mass. At the same time, the leaves themselves are not suitable for ants to eat because they are too rough and have little nutrition.
• Centromyrmex ants that eat exclusively termites.
• Ponerines are a subfamily of ants, each species of which specializes in feeding on one or another type of insect.
• The Dracula ant is a unique species with a very narrow food specialization. Its adults feed exclusively on the juices of their own larvae. And the larvae themselves, in turn, do not suffer from this at all. At the same time, adult ants catch various insects, centipedes and spiders, but do not eat them themselves, but feed them to the growing replacement.

Moreover, the nutrition of ant larvae is so specific that it should be discussed separately.