Ants appeared on Earth between 140 and 168 million years ago. They lived through the Ice Age and the Cretaceous Extinction, which not even dinosaurs survived!

Despite being small in size, ants are quite strong. An ant can pick up items up to 50 times its body mass.

An ant queen lives an average of 10 to 20 years. The queen black garden ant is a record holder for longest life span, she lived to be 30 years old! Talk about an old lady.

Some species of ants have funny names, such as the thief ants, weaver ants, bulldog ants, and even Dracula ants. Hmm… I wonder where these names come from?

While male and female ants almost always have wings, worker ants unfortunately are not so lucky. It’s a bit sad… who wouldn’t like to fly!

Ants have a venom gland located on their abdomen. The strength of the venom varies from species to species and depends on the concentration of an acid called formic acid.

Ant communities are very well organized and are divided into castes, each with their own specific role assigned.

Worker ants are tasked with building and protecting the nest as well as taking care of offspring and gathering food.

The role of the males is reduced to mating with the queen. When the male fulfills his duty, he dies. Sad, right?

Want to know more?

Check out some true facts about an ant mutualism!