Ants

Phylum  - Arthropoda

Class     - Insecta

Order    - Hymenoptera

Family   - Formicdae

How to Identify?

• Antenna geniculate.
• 2nd abdominal segment often reduced forming an isolated node or a scale (petiole).
• 3rd abdominal segment often reduced (post-petiole).

The General life cycle of an Ant colony

• (a) Colony founding phase.
• (b) Phase of colony growth.
• (c) Reproductive phase of a colony.

Taxonomically important Morphological Features of Worker Ants

• Head.
• Alitrunk (mesosoma).
• Waist.
• Gaster.

Ants of Sri Lanka

Nine subfamilies of worker ants have been recorded from Sri Lanka.

• Aenictinae
• Aneuretinae
• Cerapachyinae
• Dorylinae
• Dolichoderinae
• Formicinae
• Myrmicinae
• Ponerinae
• Pseudomyrmecinae

Field and Laboratory methods for the study of Ants

Field sampling methods for Ants.

It depends on the purpose of the study. Generally we can point out them briefly by following methods.

1. Manual collection with a pair of fine forceps.
2. Manual collection with a fine pointed (No.0) paint brush.
3. Baited trapping.
4. Pitfall trapping.
5. Quadrat sampling.
6. Special sampling methods for the leaf litter associated ants.
   i.  Litter lifters
   ii. Winkler sack
   iii. Berlese funnel
7. Intensive sampling of ants.
8. Sampling methods for arboreal ants.
   i.   Sweeping vegetation with insect nets.
   ii.  Beating vegetation with stick or shaking branches of trees vigorously to dislodge ants onto sheets or trays.
   iii. Setting up of sticky traps to capture ants.
   iv. Manual collection of ants on vegetation.

*images from wikipedia