The Ant Life Cycle
An ant has four different life stages it must go through to be in complete metamorphosis; egg, larvae, pupae, and adult. Depending on the species of ant and the environment it resides in, it can take anywhere from a couple of weeks, to a couple of months.
The Egg
A female ant must mate with a male ant. If the mating is successful, the female ant becomes a queen ant and will lay her eggs. An ant that is fertile will find a sheltered place to start the nest (colony), and then start laying her eggs. These eggs are very, very small; only about ½ of a millimeter in diameter. The eggs will be oval in shape and white/transparent.
The Larvae
Once the egg reaches the 1-2 week mark, a legless ant larvae will hatch. This stage of the ant is hungry…….all the time. The adult ant will spend the majority of its time feeding the larvae with food and liquid that they digested, then regurgitated.
The Pupae
The larvae will begin to shed its skin. When this happens, it changes into the pupal stage. The Pupae looks a lot like an adult ant, except that the legs and antennae are folded and pressed against the body. The ant pupae starts off white, but then will slowly become darker as it ages. Sometimes pupae can even be housed in a protective cocoon. Find Me A Pest Control Company Mesa AZ
The Adult
After all three stages are complete, you have an adult ant. The adult ant will be fully grown, but the color may still change with age. Within the colony ant will fall into one of these three categories: queens, workers, or males. Queens are fertile and their sole responsibility is to lay eggs. The Working ants are also female, but they do not reproduce. They will gather food; feed the larvae; and maintain, clean, and protect the nest. The working ants do not have wings. The male ants are winged, but their sole responsibility is to mate with the queens during the swarming process. Find Me A Pest Control Company Mesa AZ
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