Amazing Facts About Ants: Life Cycle, Behavior, and Lessons for Humans

An ant begins its life as an egg, then develops into a larva, pupa, and finally an adult ant. At the larval stage, ants cannot move on their own, so worker ants in the colony feed them. Surprisingly, the type of food the larva receives determines whether it will grow into a queen or remain a worker. As it grows, the larva sheds its skin several times before becoming a pupa.

If the ant emerges from the pupa as a worker, it first tends to the queen and larvae. Later, it progresses to digging and nest maintenance, and eventually, it will work in defense and foraging. The reason for this change of “profession” is that defense and food collection are far more dangerous tasks. It is better for the older ants — who are nearing the end of their lives anyway, to take on these high-risk jobs.

Worker ants live between one and three years, while queens can live for about 30 years. In contrast, males live only a few short weeks. In tropical regions, ants are active year-round, while in cooler climates they enter winter dormancy.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Body Structure

Ants have a body divided into three sections: head, thorax, and abdomen. They also have three pairs of legs — the first pair extending from the upper thorax, and the other two pairs from the lower thorax.

On the head are a pair of antennae, which provide the ant sharp senses of smell and touch. Ants also have mandibles (pincer-like jaws), used to grasp food and for defense.

Their compound eyes are made of clusters of tiny lenses. Most ants have poor to moderate vision, though some species, like the Australian bulldog ant, have excellent eyesight and can judge distance and size up to a meter away.

Only reproductive ants — the queens and males, have wings.

Ants in the Tanach (Bible)

The Book of Mishlei (Proverbs) praises the wisdom of ants: “Four are among the smallest on earth, yet they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer.” (Mishlei 30:24–25)

In another passage: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe her ways and become wise.” (Mishlei 6:6)

The sages deduced two main lessons from ants:

1. Self-discipline and responsibility – Though the colony has queens, the workers are not supervised by officers or rulers, and each ant fulfills its duty independently. Humans can learn to work diligently even without external supervision.

2. Planning and foresight – Ants store food in summer to prepare for winter. Likewise, a wise person plans for times of scarcity even during abundance.

(Photo: shutterstock)

Ants and Humans

Many ants build nests near human homes and often find their way into kitchen pantries. These small house ants — such as Pharaoh ants, are common household pests. Other species, like harvester ants, damage agriculture by collecting large amounts of grain. Carpenter ants live inside wood, damaging furniture. Some ants are venomous and bite humans, which is why pesticides are often used against them.

Colonies and Roles

Ants live in colonies, each with its own nest. Colony structure and nest design vary by species. For example, black harvester ants dig underground nests, while Israeli mound-building ants create dome-shaped mounds. Other species, like yellow crazy ants, frequently move from one nest to another.

Each colony has different roles: queen, males, workers, and soldiers.

• Queen: The only ant capable of reproduction. Usually one per nest, though some species have multiple queens.

• Males: Winged, often called “idlers,” whose sole purpose is reproduction.

• Workers: Handle all tasks including caring for the queen and larvae, foraging, digging, and water collection.

• Soldiers: Defend the colony against threats.

Defense Mechanisms

Ants defend themselves by biting or stinging, often injecting chemicals into attackers.

• The most painful sting comes from the bullet ant of Central and South America, though it is not deadly to humans.

• Fire ants inject venom containing piperidine alkaloids, which can cause severe pain and allergic reactions.

• Trap-jaw ants (Odontomachus) have jaws that snap shut faster than almost any predatory organ in the animal kingdom.

Ants also protect their colonies from disease. Some workers are tasked with removing dead ants to maintain hygiene. Certain tree-dwelling ants protect their nests from floods by drinking water inside and expelling it outside. Fire ants are even known to form living rafts during floods to keep their colonies afloat.

Ants can carry up to 50 times their weight (Photo: shutterstock)

The Most Dangerous Ants in the World

Driver ants, also known as army ants, are notorious for their aggressive swarms. If even one ant is attacked, millions may retaliate in unison. Their queens can reach up to 2 cm in length, making them among the largest ants in the world. While they usually feed on worms, they will attack and devour any living creature in their path.

Driver ants do not sting — they bite. Their bites are so strong that some African tribes use them to close wounds, substituting them for surgical stitches.

Rabbinic Sources and Parables

• The Talmud records an experiment by Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta, who tested whether ants truly have “no ruler.” When one ant was suspected of deception, the others immediately killed it. From this he concluded ants indeed have no king (Chullin 57b). Other sages disagreed, suggesting the colony may have a leader present.

• Midrash teaches that ants demonstrate honesty: if one drops a grain, none take it until the rightful owner retrieves it (Devarim Rabbah 5:2).

• Rabbi Eliezer described ants as models of caution: they send out scouts to test conditions before venturing out in the sun (Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer).

• Ants also symbolize foresight, building well-designed nests and storing food for winter, as noted in Mishlei and Midrash.

Wonders of Creation

An ant can drag an object 30 times its own weight and lift an object 50 times its body weight, which is the human equivalent of lifting a truck. Truly astonishing!