Bug Mine

Ant Facts, Information and thoughts at a glance.
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Coevolution is when a relationship between two species affects each others evolution.

Diffuse coevolution is when a relationship between three or more species affects each others evolution.

When we look at Ant co-evolution with other species we realize different types of relationships are possible.


 

Mimetic: When one group of organisms Mimics, have evolved to share common perceived characteristics (looks or actions) with another group Models. The mimics receive some benefit and the models are typically unaffected.

Commensal: Sharing of food. Again one organism benefits and the other is unaffected. If an ant colony leaves some food behind and other insects eat this, the ants are not affected.

Parasitic: A type of symbiotic relationship between two different organisms where one organism the Parasite, benefits at the expense of the host, yet the host must survive in order to sustain the parasite.

Parasitoid: An organism that spends a significant portion of its life attached to or within a single host which it ultimately kills and often consumes in the process.

Interspecific competition: Individuals of different species vie for the same resource in an ecosystem.

Intraspecific competition: Individuals of the same species vie for the same resource in an ecosystem.

Predator: Ants eat other insects and small animals to survive.

Prey: Ants are eaten by Ardvarks.

Mutualism: An Interaction between organisms where each individual derives a fitness benefit, for example increased survivorship. Ants carry aphids to better parts of a plant for the aphids to drink from the plant and then ants drink the sugar water byproduct of aphid production. This is called Co-operation.

Protector: The acacia ant (Pseudomyrmex ferruginea) protects the plant bullhorn acacia (Acacia cornigera) from preying insects and from other plants competing for sunlight, and the tree provides nourishment and shelter for the ant and its larvae.

Alex Wild Photography Ant Identification website with  a list of ant with an image beside each. Click on the image and it will open another page with a slide show of large images of that specific ant.

Army Ants Collective Intelligence of a million army ants is a sophisticated "super-organism."  All communicating and working collectively.

Ant Extreme Colony

 

Europe Wood Ants Extreme colonies numbering from 150 million ants to billions are in a major battle to save the Europe forests from super colonies of caterpillars. The caterpillars nest in the trees and destroy the trees.
Wood ants live in large mounds of wood chips and the ground beneath. 30 thousand to 300 thousand ants live in each mound. Clusters of mounds form an extreme colony of hundreds of millions of ants which communicate and work together to battle the caterpillars and save the forest.
The Argentine army ant colonies reach about 1 million. African army ant colonies reach about 20 million. Video of Wood Ant Formica Rufa battling a caterpillar.

Ant Totem

Ant shows a promise of success through efforts and hard work and diligence. Read more at this link.


Extreme Evolution in Ants and Humans
Europe wood ants are devoloping a communication linking hundreds or more wood chip mounds.
They are effectively developing an extreme colony of billions beyond the normal small colony on it's own mentality.
In a Russian study presented to the European Sociobiological Society the human trend toward a global or international
identity must include a sharing of languages and cultures which normally keep us separate.
Read article

Welcome to Bug Mine Home page. Each main page about a bug will have a summary of many interesting things about that species of bug. This page is about Ants.
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Click image to read Rise of the Ants Article.

Ant Evolution

Any Gods that created the universe have the option and capability to create ants that can adapt and evolve themselves to environmental changes.
The other option is to intervene and advance the ants to survive as needed.


Prehistoric Ant discovered alive in Amazon rainforest.


Ant Agriculture Evolution Leaf cutter ants.


Ant Evolution Image for agriculture ants. Click image to magnify.


Ant Mandible Evolution Trap-jaw ants.


Ancient Ant Fossil BBC article and picture of ancient ant fossil the size of a small bird.


Ant Engineering

 

Ants are extraordinary engineers using dirt, leaves, twigs and even themselves to build things needed by the colony.

Bridge
Road
Tunnel
Colony underground
Colony in trees
Water Raft
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Ant science fiction movies

These links open youtube in this same page.

 

Phase IV Intelligent ants compete with scientist in a remote lab.


Them!  1954 Giant mutant ants battle the army.


Empire of the Ants Property buyers visit an island only to find giant ants live on the island.


The Hive 2008. Intelligent and try to take over an island.

 

Ant Robots

 

Ant Robot Remote controlled ant robot video on youtube.

 

Ant Collective Behavior for Robots Talk about how ants behave and programming small robots to work together.

Ant Corporation


Some ant colonies become very large numbering in the millions of ants. Leaf cutter ants(Atta) have large groups of workers with specialized skills which function as a team in a large corporation.


Giant Ant in the science fiction show Sanctuary. Watch the video below for the episode.
Click image to view Ant Anatomy page.

Ant Vitamins

 

Many cultures globally eat ants for strength and vitality. Here are some links to purchase ant vitamins.

 

Ant Essence Ant tonics are widely consumed in Asia to promote strength.

Ant Power Ant is a potent energy tonic that has immediate and long term benefits.

Ant Colony Algorithms


Italian Marco Dorigo in 1992 proposed an algorithm to find an optimal path based on the behavior of ants seeking the optimal path between the colony and the resources.

Link to Ant Colony Optimization

 

Ant Colony Systems pdf This pdf file takes a moment to load scroll to second page as soon as you open the file and it loads faster. Requires adobe pdf reader.


Ant Man cartoon video. Ant Man teems up with some ants to beat some villains.

Ant Animation 3D animation website with some 3D ant pictures and videos. Videos require adobe flash player.

The Giant Anteater Myrmecophaga tridactyla, only eats ants and termites, making it a myrmecophage. Article about foraging behaviors of the giant anteater in Brazil.

Ant BioMimic Architecture Evolutionary Architecture techniques are using engineering concepts from ants and other insects to build ecology friendly and economically affordable housing.

Russian Ant Studies

This site has links to Articles in PDF format about Russian ants. A pdf reader like adobe reader is needed. Numerical competence in animals with an insight from ants is the first article, skip forward to about page 420 in the pdf at the start of section 4. if you want to get right to the ants.

Ant Analytics

Ants have developed the ability to reconnoiter their environment, analyze the information then adapt to the situation. Humans have also adapted this behavior with software programs like SAS (Statistical Analytics Software) business analitics.