Fun Facts About Ants You Never Knew

Insects are the most diverse group of animals in the world. Experts estimate that over 5.5 million species of insects exist today. One of the most interesting is the humble ant.

Do you love ants? If so, you need to check out these fun facts about ants. We scoured the web for the most interesting truths about these amazing insects and curated them for you below.

There Are Over 10,000 Types of Ants

Scientists have discovered at least 12,000 distinct ant subspecies. In the US, the most common ones are fire ants, house ants, Argentine ants, pharaoh ants, thief ants, pavement ants, and carpenter ants.

Ants Live in Colonies

Ants are incredibly social creatures, which is why they prefer to live together. These insects also enforce strict social hierarchies, with male ants and worker ants at the bottom and queen ants at the top.

Ants Can Carry 50X Their Own Weight

Ants are among the strongest creatures in nature in terms of size versus strength. When ants work together, they can transport even heavier objects.

Ants Don’t Have Ears

This is one of the coolest facts about ant anatomy. But while they may not have ears, ants can still “hear.” They use a unique organ called the subgenual to “listen to” vibrations in the ground.

Some Ants Can Swim

If you’ve ever tried to drown an ant infestation in your home, you may already know this to be true. Trap-jaw ants, gigantiops, diving ants, black carpenter ants, and hairy panther ants can swim, and some can even survive underwater.

Ants Use Pheromones to Communicate

Pheromones are chemicals animals produce to communicate with other members of their species. Ants use these chemicals to send messages to other ants since they only use their mouths for eating and bathing.

Ants Don’t Have Blood Vessels

Ants have something called an open circulatory system. Blood and other fluids travel throughout their bodies without needing blood vessels.

But do ants have hearts? Find out the answer to this question at the link!

Ants Have the Longest Lifespan of All Insects

Some ant species can live up to 30 years. The exact lifespan of an ant depends on its social role. Queen ants live the longest, followed by worker ants, but male ants only live long enough to reproduce.

Ants Have Been Around Since the Cretaceous Period

The Cretaceous Period started 145 million years ago and ended about 66 million years ago. You may also know it as the period following the Jurassic Period when dinosaurs walked the earth.

Ants Are Found on Six Continents

Ants live on every continent in the world but one: Antarctica. Scientists believe these hardy insects can’t survive the cold, wet climate the continent is known for.

Looking for More Fun Facts About Ants?

Ants are one of the most interesting insect species in the world. They are incredibly strong and have impressive survival instincts. Maybe that’s why they survived the dinosaur extinction event and now live all over the world.

Did you enjoy learning these fun facts about ants? We publish articles like this one every day. Keep checking back for more posts about your favorite insect!