FA Youth Home > Life in a Fire Ant Family
(Note: Some of the material in this section is adapted from IPMWorld)
Overview
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| Developmental stages of imported fire ant. Click on image to enlarge. |
There are many different kinds of families. In this section you will learn about the different family members in a fire ant family and how they communicate with each other through pheromones. Don’t forget to check out the vocabulary words and Learning Activities, too!
Family Members
There are many different kinds of families. In a family of fire ants, called a colony, the family members include:
- One or more reproductive queens (queens are able to lay eggs)
- Brood (eggs, larvae and pupae)
- Polymorphic (several sizes) workers
- Winged females and winged males
Among the sterile (unable to reproduce) workers, labor is divided by age and to a much lesser degree by size.
- Younger workers care for the developing brood.
- Middle-aged workers maintain and protect the colony.
- The oldest workers forage for food.
Vocabulary Words
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