Vocab 1
What is the meaning of "chamber"?
a room; enclosed space or compartment
What is the meaning of "social"?
living together in organized groups
What does the leafcutter ant harvest and take to the nest?
Leaves
What is warmer - the anthill or the surrounding area?
the anthill
Why is the ant one of the strongest animals on earth?
An ant can lift a seed five times its weight
What is the meaning of "scarce"?
hard to find, not enough
a place to save or store something
What is the first thing an ant does before it starts to work?
It cleans itself
Do ants ever retire?
No - they work until they die
What is the job of the oldest ants?
search for food / forage
What is the meaning of "excess"?
extra; an amount of something that is more than necessary
What is the meaning of "exchanges"?
giving and receiving
How long have ants existed on the earth for?
more than 100 million years
What continent do the ants not live on?
Antarctica
What is the jaw/mouth of an ant called?
mandibles
What is "obstacles"?
something that blocks your way
What is the meaning of "transport"?
to move something
How do ants avoid water (like streams)?
1) Army ants form living bridges by linking themselves together
2) Leafcutter ants dig tunnels under streams
How many caterpillars and insects a day do large wood ant colonies transport?
thousands
What does a nurse ant do?
Nurse ans lick larvae do they do not dry out and feed them
What is the meaning of "reinforce"?
strengthen
What is the meaning of "transfer"?
to pass along
What kinds of animals eat ants? Name 3
woodpecker, horned lizard, ant lions, armadillo, the giant anteater
How do leafcutter ants recycle leaves?
Ants harvest the leaves and smash them into a damp paste. A fungus grows on the paste. The ants harvest the fungus. When the paste can no longer grow fungus, it is pushed into dump chambers. There is decomposes and the nutrients go back into the soil.
What type of ant has the most painful sting?
Bullet ant