Ants are social insects related to wasps and bees. They live in colonies which can range in size from a few to millions of individuals.
They are found in every continent and island except in Antarctica and a few remote and inhospitable islands.
About 50 species are found in the Maltese islands. Some species are very common and can be found both in the countryside and in urban areas while some species are very rare.
Among the most common in Malta are the red harvester ant, ħażżien aħmar in Maltese, and the acantholepis ant, known as żvelt iswed. The Maltese slave-keeping ant is very rare and is endemic to the Maltese islands.
It is known as nemlu ta’ Kemmuna. This name is definitely not a popular name and was given to it by entomologists as this species has been observed only a few times.
In large colonies, most members are sterile wingless females all of which have particular duties such as soldiers and workers.
The work carried out by the ants varies with age. In a colony one would also find fertile males known as drones and one or more queens. The queen’s main task is to lay eggs. Eggs can be fertile in which case they give rise to a female ants or infertile give rise to male ants. At particular times of the year, depending on the species, winged males and females leave the colony on a nuptial flight.
In Malta one usually sees ants in nuptial flight soon after the first autumn rains but this weekend I managed to take pictures of winged ants as they were leaving the nest. I did not immediately realise what was happening. I saw a few insects taking off from the drying vegetation which looked like moths but on closer inspection I discovered that I was observing the nuptial flight of an ant colony. Male ants are the first to leave the colony. They do not fly at random but congregate in a suitable spot, often on a tree. They then release a pheromone which attracts the females towards them and mating takes place. In some species the female mates with one male while in others it may have up to 10 partners.
After mating the females seek a suitable place where to found a new colony.
It then breaks off her wings and starts to lay eggs. The first ants to hatch are small and weak but they immediately start to take care of the eggs, larvae and to enlarge the nest.
Ant colonies can be long-lived. A queen can live for up to 30 years, and workers live from one to three years. Males, however survive only for a few weeks. Worker ants change their duties during their life. Their first task is to take care of the queen and young. As they grow older they start digging and taking care of the nest and late they defend the nest. They finally become foragers, leaving the nest to collect food. This is the most dangerous task. The ants are exposed to many dangers including numerous predators. It is the last task assigned to an aging ant because these ants are likely to die soon and therefore they are the most expendable.
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