Ants

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. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.

Carpenter Ant Trachymyrmex septentrionali Malabar Scrub Sanctuary, Fl Dorymyrmex bureni dragging Trap Jaw Ant TrapJaw Ant Formica archboldi The Twig Ant, Pseudomyrmex gracilis A Harvester Ant Worker Attacks a Fire Ant Queen Pogonomyrmex badius worker carrying Solenopsis invicta queen Platythyrea punctata Harvester Ant
Leaf Cutter Ant Camponotus floridanus Carpenter Ant with Pupa