Department of Education of the Administration of Sosnovsky Municipal District
MBOU Vitkulovskaya secondary school.
Section “I explore the world”
Section “Animal Ecology”
Nomination “Educational and Research Works”
Work completed:
Kiseleva Valeria,
4th grade student (11 years old)
Supervisor:
Lapteva Svetlana Viktorovna,
Primary school teacher
With. Vitkulovo
2013
Research objectives:
Studying the life of red forest ants.
The influence of ants on the ecological situation in the forest.
Research objectives:
♦ Study the literature about ants and their varieties.
♦ To study the behavior of ants in their forest anthills by observation.
♦ Learn to present the results of searching and summarizing information in various forms (abstract, photo report, presentation).
♦ Increasing creative, cognitive activity and learning motivation.
Hypothesis: Ants play a big role in improving the ecological condition of the forest community.
Relevance of the topic:
Nowadays there is a lot of talk about the problems of environmental pollution and the use of huge amounts of chemicals. Against the backdrop of widespread environmental pollution, the issue of reducing the use of chemicals and the widespread use of biological methods for controlling plant pests becomes very relevant. Ants, as forest orderlies, come to the fore in this case.
Object of study:
Red forest ants.
Subject of research:
Ants' home.
Research methods:
~ Observing the life of ants in forest anthills
~ Studying the literature and summarizing the information received;
Content:
Introduction.
Main part.
1. Review on the topic “Who are they, red forest ants?”
2. Practical part of the work: Observations of the life activity of the anthill.
III. Conclusion:
About the benefits of ants in the natural community.
YI. List of used literature.
Ants live in families. The forest rustled with its leaves.
There are so many of them, oh-oh-oh! Autumn is a wonderful time.
A house in the forest stands among the fir trees. Get ready, kids.
From dry grass, needles, into the forest for berries, mushrooms,
Small branches and earth.Avoid bushes and hummocks.
Everything we could bring. Don't break the anthill.
This fabulous hillProtect from trouble.
Inhabited the pine forest.
Ants, there are soldiers.
Very brave guys.
The house is bravely defended,
And they don’t let enemies in
There are workers, hard workers.
They get tired, poor things.
They are at work all day long
Take care of your home.
The entrances and exits are dug,
The rubbish is removed from the nest.
They bring food in reserve.
Hiding supplies for the winter
The females will lay eggs
Place them neatly into nests.
They will take the children out of them,
Red, lively ants.
Ants in the forest are useful -
Protect from diseases.
Harmful midges are absorbed,
That's why trees protect.
So that in summer and spring,
1
.Who are they, red forest ants?
My parents and I often go to the forest. There I see huge heaps, over which small insects - ants - quickly rush. Who are they, red forest ants? How do they live? I wanted to know about these inhabitants of our region.
After studying a lot of literature, I learned that about 6 thousand species of ants are currently known; in fact, there are more of them in nature. About 125 species of ants live in Russia, the most common of which is the red forest ant, which inhabits the entire forest zone. They live mainly in coniferous and mixed forests. Red forest ants are arthropod insects, membranous, common in the forest zone of Europe and Western Siberia. The size of an adult working individual is 4-9 mm, winged forms of “males and females” are 9-11 mm. The color of the head and rear part of the abdomen is dark, the chest, stem and joints are red. At the end of the abdomen there is a device for spraying out a caustic secretion - formic acid.
There are several species of ants that engage in theft and slavery. Thief ants live mainly under anthills; they are small and therefore make narrow passages into which large ants cannot climb, and feed on the larvae and pupae of their hosts.
Each family of ants has its own territory, where it does not allow other creatures of its own kind. Here the ants form paths and constantly restore order to them. The total length of these paths is about a kilometer, and the length of the roads in the middle of the nest sometimes exceeds seven kilometers. Sometimes wars occur between ants. The weaker ones run away, taking the larvae with them. Outside the anthill, nothing threatens anyone. Robbers capture the larvae in the middle of the nest. From the captives, the conquerors raise “slaves”, who then raise the children of the aggressors, monitor the cleanliness of the premises, and obtain food. Of the 15 thousand species of invader ants, there are three thousand.
2. Observations of the life activity of an anthill.
AND 
Ants live in large families not only in characteristic anthill buildings, but also in tree trunks, underground. But not everyone knows that this is the top floor of the anthill. Its main part goes deep underground.
I carried out my observations in sunny and cloudy rainy weather.
Before it rains, ants close the entrances and exits, and in good weather they sometimes bring out their white eggs to warm them. In fact, these are not eggs, but pupae from which adult ants emerge. The eggs that the female lays hatch into curved white worm-like larvae. Worker ants feed them a nutrient mass, then the larvae turn into pupae. The pupa lies in a cocoon and is very similar to an adult ant, only it is white and motionless. Then, either a worker ant—an underdeveloped female—or winged males and females hatch from the pupa. The age of winged males is short-lived. They will rise into the air in a brilliant swarm, and then descend to the ground and die.
And the females shed their wings and settle in the depths of the anthill until the end of their lives, laying eggs.
IN 
In the forest we found several anthills, which are under the protection of the local forestry department.
Having carefully examined the anthill, I saw that it consisted of needles, small twigs, pieces of bark and plant debris. At first glance, it seems that all this garbage is scattered randomly. Worker ants do all the work in the anthill: build, store food, protect. Some ants have “soldiers” - larger ants.
Among the red ants, the elderly sages work at the top of their house as an observer. Old ants are the keepers of information in the anthill.
It turns out that ants are the fastest to learn to find the right path in a maze. Formic acid helps them in this, which they also use for defense and offense. If a young female ant, due to inexperience, establishes an anthill in damp soil, its smart inhabitants build a path of pine needles so as not to get their paws wet.
If you put an ant on your hand, after a few seconds you will feel a burning sensation on the skin. The ant released formic acid for defense. If a young female ant, due to inexperience, establishes an anthill in damp soil, its smart inhabitants build a path of pine needles so as not to get their paws wet. These insects love not only to work, but also to relax. Ants sleep for about three hours, crawling into a hole in the ground and pressing their limbs closely to their body. When they wake up, they stretch and yawn like people.
If you take food from them with tweezers and put it in one place for a certain time, the results will show that the ants drag into the nest mainly pine cutworm caterpillars, sawfly larvae, various beetles and butterflies that are classified as forest pests.
I 
I decided to take a red forest ant and examine it under a digital microscope.
It turned out that he has 6 legs, with the help of which the ant moves quickly.
3. Conclusions. The benefits of ants.
Forest red ants benefit humans by helping them destroy dangerous pests of tree plantations. This is not difficult to verify if you conduct a very simple experiment. Observing an anthill, you can immediately notice that there are paths running from it in all directions, along which ants scurry about; some run away from the nest in search of food, while others return with prey. In addition, they destroy slugs that damage tree foliage. These workers also spread the seeds of herbs and flowers. By digging underground passages, they loosen the soil, mix it, enriching it with organic fertilizers. Instead of earthworms, they transform the soil. The red forest ant eats many insects that are harmful to the forest. The trees around the anthill are greener and taller because the ants protect them from pests. In a day, an ant nest destroys up to 100 thousand harmful insects. The presence of ants in a forest is a guarantee of its health and the development of flora and fauna.
Ants have long been considered sages. In Kyrgyzstan, many years ago, a person who was planning a good deed went to spend the night at an anthill - this promised good luck.
Some people sometimes stir up anthills with sticks, thereby disturbing the normal life of the ants. Thus, the forest is deprived of its most reliable defenders.
Ants are very beneficial insects. By protecting anthills, we save our forests!
YI. Literature used:
1. Forest and environment. Molchanov A.A. Science. 1968
2. Suvorova P.I. Insects - friends and enemies. Education. 1979
3.Forest entomology. Vorontsov A.I. Higher school. 1975
4. Poems about an ant. Novikova R.
An ant crawls through the forest.
It's not easy for a heavyweight -
He carries the reed into the house,
Patch all the holes in it.
The living beings living on our planet are divided into two large groups or two worlds: the plant world and the animal world. In turn, living beings belonging to each of these two worlds are divided into many smaller orders and classes. Thus, the animal world is divided into the following classes: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects. There are probably several million species of insects, although approximately 900,000 have been described so far. Among such a large class of “insects” there are creatures useful and harmful. But how do we understand “beneficial” and “harmful” insects? Indeed, from an ecological point of view, nothing in the world of living beings can be superfluous, and therefore can be neither useful nor harmful. The destruction of any species can lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem. So, when we talk about such concepts as “harmful” and “beneficial” insects, we mean the benefits they bring to humans. At the same time, we try to protect the useful ones.
Since ancient times, the life of hardworking ants has been a subject of constant observation and keen interest for people. In ancient legends, poetic works and even in the Bible, attention was paid to these insects. However, despite this, we still don’t know much about them, and some of the secrets of their life have only recently been revealed to scientists.
The Ant family (Formicidae) is the largest family of insects in terms of the number of individuals. And in terms of the number of species, few families can compete with it. Now there are approximately 8,000 thin stalks of one or two segments connecting the chest and abdomen. In other representatives of the order, the abdomen is directly attached to the chest.
The most common and frequently encountered in Russia is the red wood ant (Formica rufa). But, as it turned out, the benefits of this species are extremely great.
This work is devoted to the study of the role of this type of ant in the life of the forest and humanity.
Relevance of the research project topic
Red ants have a significant impact on the forest ecosystem. Everyone knows that the forest is the “lungs” of the Earth, which gives us fresh air. With the disappearance of ants, the orderlies of the forest, an ecological catastrophe may arise - the danger of destruction of the forest zone, as the main source of preservation of all life on Earth.
Purpose of the research project
Attracting the attention of students and the local population to forest ants, increasing knowledge about the beneficial properties of red forest ants.
Research Project Objectives
Theoretical
Collect and study information on this topic.
Find ways to draw attention to the problem of deforestation.
Practical
Conduct a survey and find out what students know about ants and their benefits for the forest and humans.
Make and install signs “about the protection of forest ants”.
Make a cross-sectional model of an anthill to visually present to schoolchildren the internal structure of an anthill.
Create a website on the Internet at the address ant.rf with more detailed information about ants and the project.
Project stages
Collection of information
Questioning of schoolchildren
Material processing
Design selection, project design and presentation
Production and installation of information and security signs
Making a cross-sectional model of an anthill
Creation of the website ant.rf
Project protection
Practical significance research project
The practical significance of the project lies in the attempt to preserve the number of these insects. In addition, the project materials can be used in environmental lessons and during extracurricular activities, thereby expanding the circle of people making efforts to preserve the environment around us.
Project products are a survey of students, a mock-up of an anthill, installed security information signs, posting information about the study on the Internet on the website anthill.rf
General information about ants
There are goosebumps in the forest - ants
They live by their labor
They have their own customs
And an anthill-house.
Peace-loving residents
They don't sit idle:
In the morning, soldiers are running to the post,
And the nannies go to kindergarten.
Worker ant is in a hurry
The labor path,
From morning to evening it rustles
In the grass and under leaves.
In taiga, pine forests, in dense deciduous and mixed forests, brown ant heaps, rounded or pointed domes of anthills are even more common than woodpeckers, black grouse, thrushes, gray lizards, hare or chipmunks. Ant heaps are a landscape detail that is not indifferent to the forest.
Back in 1836, the prominent Russian forester Pyotr Perelygin, in his book “Forest Conservation or Rules for the Conservation of Growing Forests,” wrote about ants that “they are the first enemies of insect larvae... They tirelessly pursue all kinds of larvae on a tree, at the root of which there is an ant heap.” Ants, the forester further explained, “even prevent larvae from hatching from eggs. That’s why, in the middle of a damaged area, forests like those located close to an anthill, the trees remain fresh and green.” These are ants from the Formica group, that is, red forest ants.
Meanwhile, how many anthills are being destroyed by people all the time without any sense, without purpose or need, just to look at the turmoil that surrounds the torn nest. Restoring a destroyed anthill takes a lot of effort and expense from the ant family, and in the event of severe destruction, they may not be able to cope with it, and the family will eventually die.
Ant structure
The structure of an ant, like any living organism, is complex. Each part of the body or organ performs its own function.
The body of an ant consists of three main parts - abdomen, chest, head.
Stages of Ant Development
An ant is an insect with complete metamorphosis (holometaboly). That is, in its development it goes through the following stages:
The first stage of ant development is the egg.
The second stage of ant development is the pupa.
The third stage of ant development is the larva.
The fourth stage of ant development is the imago.
Anthill structure
What do red forest ants build their home from?
There is enough building material in the forest. In red forest ants, the anthill is built from pieces of bark, twigs, needles, and soil. They are like janitors, they pull everything into one pile, which is why the forest becomes cleaner and the house grows before our eyes. This roof reliably protects insects from rain, snow, wind and heat.
Despite the external symmetry of the ant heap, it is not so inside: it is a complex network of labyrinths and chambers. Some of them go to a depth of 3-4 meters! Therefore, even a slight violation of the integrity of the above-ground part of the anthill (for example, if you stir the anthill with a stick) completely destroys the structure of the ant’s home, and it takes a lot of time to restore it.
Above the ground we only see a large pile, but what does the anthill look like inside?
The house of ants is riddled with many passages and chambers, and most of it is underground.
The anthill is covered with a layer of needles and twigs, it protects the home from the vicissitudes of the weather.
At the very top of the anthill there is a “Solarium” - a chamber heated by the rays of the sun. In the spring, the inhabitants come here to warm themselves.
There are several entrances to the anthill. They are guarded by soldiers and serve as ventilation ducts.
There is also a “Cemetery” in the anthill. Worker ants carry dead ants and garbage here.
When winter comes, the ants underground gather into a tight, motionless ball in the “Wintering Chamber.” The temperature in the wintering chamber does not drop below +5. And in the spring, as soon as the sun warms up the dome of the anthill, the first scouts appear on its surface. Following them, the whole family comes to life.
Ants are very economical. They have a “Grain Barn” where ants store grain; “Meat pantry”, where foragers bring caterpillars and other prey; “Cowshed” where ants keep aphids.
And the most protected place in the anthill, located, as a rule, underground is the “Royal Chamber”, where the queen lives, laying up to one and a half thousand eggs a day and chambers with eggs, larvae and pupae.
Up to one and a half million ants can live in such a structure, erected on an old stump.
An intricate system of passages and chambers allows insects to regulate the temperature and humidity inside the anthill. By closing or opening the ventilation holes, they create the necessary microclimate inside the entire structure.
Ants constantly move needles and twigs on the roof of the anthill, drying them, so there is no mold on the anthill. Ants keep their house clean, take out everything unnecessary and throw it in a landfill in a certain place.
Professions of ants
In the anthill you can find both winged and wingless individuals. Males and females have wings only when they fly out of the nest during reproduction. Worker ants do not have wings, they are not capable of reproduction and are busy with various jobs. Each worker ant has its own “profession”. Usually the youngest become nannies, that is, they look after the brood. Having matured a little, they become builders, and then foragers (food earners). The oldest ants, which are not capable of obtaining food, become food store keepers, watchmen or observers. They do not run hunting, do not carry needles and twigs. Being on the anthill heap, they monitor what is happening around from there. The largest individuals protect the anthill from all kinds of attacks from the outside; they are called soldiers. Also, in the ant family there are necessarily “guardians” of nectar. They are needed in an unforeseen case if there is a famine in the anthill and the worker ants can no longer obtain food. The anthill also has its own hospitals, where doctors, for example, surgeons, work. And if one of their residents injured a limb, that is, an arm or a leg, then surgeons amputate it (gnaw it off).
Interesting facts about ants
Ants are the most numerous insects on Earth.
Ants have their own language, which scientists have not yet been able to decipher. However, they perfectly understand the signals, and instantly get involved in joint work when it comes to crossing natural barriers or mass gathering in an anthill to strengthen a home or save offspring during or before a disaster.
Ants have their own "pets". They are aphids. Shepherd ants graze it, aphids secrete nectar, which the ants eat, and when the time comes, they eat the aphids. That is, everything happens the same as for a person who keeps cows or goats.
Ants are heavyweights and hard workers: they lift loads approximately a hundred times heavier than their own weight, and are constantly engaged in socially useful work: preparing food, caring for offspring.
During heavy rains and floods, in order to save their queens and eggs, ants build bridges and rafts from their own bodies. And this does not necessarily mean the death of the “building material” - an ant is able to spend four days under water without harm to health.
Ants consume huge amounts of food; they are voracious and omnivorous. In one hundred days of summer, an anthill can destroy up to 2 million pests.
Scientists also suggest that ants may be able to count and regulate fertility, so that there are enough ants of each profession in the family. However, these assumptions have not yet been proven, but make us think about how little we know about the world around us.
Benefits of ants for human health
Ants are also important in medicine. The “poison” of red forest ants is formic acid, which is successfully used for various joint diseases, as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Ant venom contains antibiotics that effectively kill fungi and bacteria, including streptococci and staphylococci, the causative agents of typhoid, cholera, and tuberculosis.
Some people, as well as animals, use ant bites in “folk” methods of treatment.
Ways to protect anthills
Red wood ants are included in the “Red List of Threatened Species” of the international Red Book of the World Conservation Union, as close to becoming a threatened species. Also included in some regional Red Books and lists of rare animals, for example, the Red Book of Moscow, the Red Book of the Voronezh Region. In the Chelyabinsk region, red forest ants are not only listed in the Red Book. In the Bredinsky district, the only myrmecological reserve in the Urals, “Bely Kolok,” was created to protect a large colony of red forest ants, which serves as a reserve of material for the resettlement of ants in the forests of the region.
It is necessary to take care of ants and, first of all, their homes - anthills. Where there are many visitors in the forest, forestry workers specially fence off anthills.
A person, even without directed sabotage, unwittingly causes harm to nature. This occurs due to economic activity, during which forests are cut down and their inhabitants die.
Every year, the number of ant nests in the Moscow region decreases.
There must be at least one anthill per 1 hectare of forest. If it is not there, this section of the forest will die from pests, there will be no birds, and the trees will dry out.
Therefore, let’s take care of the remaining pockets of untouched nature, because our lives directly depend on it.
What can we do to save ant nests:
- Don't burn old grass.
- Don't destroy anthills.
- Do not pollute the forest with garbage.
- Do not light a fire near an anthill.
- Fence and protect anthills.
- Together with adults, carry out work on the resettlement of ants.
- Explain the usefulness of ants. Then all together we will save the Russian forest!
The study was carried out over 6 months: from 06/12/2017 to 02/11. 2018. A colony of ants of the species Сamponotus vagus, numbering about 50 workers and a queen, was used for the study. The colony was grown from one queen (Appendix 9), placed in a test tube - incubator (Appendix 10). After which, it was distributed into an acrylic formicarium.
The substrates were moistened 2 times a week and replaced once every two weeks. I fed the colony once every 3 days. The diet of the control groups consisted of sugar syrup, food insects and fruits. The temperature in the laboratory averaged 26°C during the day and 24°C at night. Humidity varied from 40 to 60%. The anthills were completely isolated from sunlight.
In my formicarium I conducted several observations and experiments.
In the process of observing ants, differences in the structure and size of ants of different castes were determined: females, males, warriors and workers. Females, as noted in literary sources, are much larger than others. And warriors are much larger than workers.
Observing the complete transformation of ants, all stages of ant development were noted: egg, larva, pupa and adult (Appendix 13).
According to my observations, one of the most important factors for successfully keeping Camponotus vagus ants at home is the quality of the first individuals. Since ants have a reproductive strategy, the population very often contains non-viable or poorly viable individuals. This fact is due to the need to adapt to new environmental conditions and some other evolutionary aspects.
When receiving new colonies from fertilized queens, 3 out of 10 will fail to produce eggs, despite guaranteed fertilization. Some of those who did lay eggs will not be able to hatch the first workers due to a lack of stored nutrients. This is a very important point, since ants are highly stressed and, in inexperienced hands, very often eat the laid eggs.
I recommend keeping a small colony of ants in a glass incubator, which maintains an optimal level of humidity. I recommend moving the ant colony to a formicarium once it reaches at least 30 workers. If you transplant a failed colony, there is a very high probability of extinction.
Camponotus vagus can be kept in various homemade formicaria: plaster, gel, acrylic, wooden and others. The most important thing for a formicarium is the ability to maintain humidity and prevent infection.
Never place the formicarium so that direct sunlight falls on it: this can cause the death of pets. Optimum temperature 25°-28°C; at room temperature they will also be able to live, but development will be slower. The arena is also important for ants. The arena is a closed space where animals throw out garbage; it is also in the arena that food should be placed and a drinking bowl should be placed.
Successful maintenance of an ant colony requires compliance with the rules of care, in particular feeding. It is necessary to correctly evaluate the gastronomic preferences of this type of ant. In the classical sense, protein food for ants is provided by mealworms and fruit flies. Insects can be harvested in the summer and stored in the freezer; they last for a very long time, almost without losing their beneficial qualities. Carbohydrate foods include sugar syrup, honey, and fruits.
I offer a reminder that will be useful to those who have already purchased a formicarium or are just planning to do so.
The purpose of our research work was to study the structure, behavior of ants, and the lifestyle of the ant family of the species black carpenter ant (Latin Componotus vagus), with the aim of creating favorable conditions for the life of ants outside the anthill.
During the work, the biological characteristics of the species Componotus vagus and the complete transformation of the ant were studied. All stages of ant development were noted: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
When studying the literature, it was found that the species black carpenter ant (lat. Componotus vagus) ants, which have an interesting feature - they are predators. After conducting observations, confirmation of this information was obtained.
During this research work, it was found that it is possible to keep ants of the species Componotus vagus and influence their vital functions. We have established that in order to increase the numerical composition of the colony, it is necessary to feed the ants with protein food and food insects. The most favorable conditions for keeping ants at home were determined experimentally. Formicarium must be kept in a dark place, at a temperature from +25°C to +28°C, away from drafts and direct sunlight.
The practical significance of the study lies in drawing up recommendations for keeping ants in formicariums. Observations of ants have been summarized in a small reminder that will be useful to those who have already purchased a formicarium or are just planning to do so.
In my work, I studied the life of ants and their behavior in a formicarium. Watching ants in a formicarium captivates, develops curiosity, and fosters a humane attitude towards the animal world. It does not require large material investments. It also requires very little time for maintenance. The life of this small civilization is filled with a series of fascinating events that are hidden from our view in ordinary life. But thanks to the formicarium, you will see:
- the process of development of an ant from egg to pupa, and as a result - the birth of small ants;
- ant nutrition in detail: ants not only eat themselves, but also share food with each other (similar to how birds feed newborn chicks);
- a macroworld full of care and love: ants not only care for eggs and pupae around the clock, but also clean and lick each other. The bactericidal properties of saliva protect their body from external bacteria;
- the exciting hunt of ants - predators that feed on small insects. By placing an insect in the arena, you can witness a real ant hunt for prey.
I am very attracted to this wonderful world of ants. In the near future, I plan to acquire other interesting species of ants for study, such as leaf-cutter ants, weaver ants, and nomad ants.
For many years, scientists have been trying to find extraterrestrial life. However, very few people know that a much larger civilization than ours has been living and developing under our feet for thousands of years!
List of used literature
- Babenko V. Family of ants. - ONYX 21st century, Moscow, 2003
- Dlussky G.M., Bukin A.P. Meet the ants! – M.: Agroproizdat, 1986
- Sergeev B. Ant close-up//Young naturalist, 1988
- Zakharov A. A. Ant, family, colony, M.: Nauka, 1978
- Biology: Encyclopedia / Ed. M.S. Gilyarov. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2003.-864 pp.: ill., 30 sheets. color ill.
- Animal life. In 7 volumes/ Ch. ed. V.E. Sokolov. T.
- Arthropods: trilobites, chelicerates, trachea-breathers. Onychovores /Ed. M.S. Gilyarov, F.N. Pravdina.-2nd ed., revised-M.: Enlightenment, 1984.-463 p., ill., 32p. il 3.
- New illustrated dictionary / Ed. V. I. Borodulina, A. P. Gorkina, A. A. Guseva, N.M. Landa et al. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2005. - 912 pp.: ill.
- Grebennikov V.S. Secrets of the world of insects. - NOVOSIBIRSK BOOK PUBLISHING HOUSE, 1990.
- Ants. [Electronic resource].
- Reaper ants. [Electronic resource].
- Formicaria. [Electronic resource].
- Photos of different types of ants and interesting features of their life. [Electronic resource].
Application
Appendix 1
Rice. 1. Carpenter ant
Appendix 2
Rice. 2. Ant structure
Appendix 3
Rice. 3. Nest of carpenter ants
Appendix 4
Rice. 4. Ant development cycle
Appendix 5
Rice. 5. Carpenter ant family
Appendix 6
Rice. 6. Gypsum formicarium
Appendix 7
Rice. 7. Wooden formicarium
Appendix 8
Rice. 8. Queen
Appendix 9
Rice. 9. Test tube - incubator
Appendix 10
Rice. 10. Arena
Appendix 11
Memo to the beginning myrmikeeper (booklet)
You can buy formicarium on various websites. The ant farm will come with instructions for caring for and maintaining the anthill.
I compiled this memo based on my observations as an appendix to this instruction.
1) It is best to place the formicarium in a dark place.
2) If the house is hot and the temperature is above 27°C, then it is better to place the formicarium near the window and cover it with tinted film.
3) If the room is colder than +16°C, then it is better to buy an electrically heated mat. Such mats are sold on websites offering ants and formicaria.
4) Before populating the formicarium ants, I recommend keeping the ant colony in a glass incubator, which maintains an optimal level of humidity. Move the ant colony to the formicarium when it reaches at least 30 workers.
5) The main food of ants is sugar syrup. To increase colony growth, it is worth adding small insects to the diet.
6) To humidify the air, nanosponges are offered on websites. Instead, you can make an air humidifier yourself - a drinking bowl from a large-volume syringe. You need to cut a hole in it, insert cotton wool or a cotton pad and compact it tightly. Pour water into the structure and place it vertically, securing it with double-sided tape on the wall of the arena. If the height is not enough, then there is another, simpler way. Take the test tube that contained the ants, fill it with water and place the cotton wool so that it is half in the water. And if you have a very small arena and neither of these methods works for you, then place a cotton pad on the bottom of the arena and drip a little water on it every day.
I wish you good luck!
Appendix 12
Test " What do we know about ants?»
1.What is trophaolaxis?
a) food exchange
b) exchange of information
c) identification of a comrade
2. Ants from the squad?
a) Hymenoptera
b) arthropods
c) Lepidoptera
3. What is a structure for keeping ants?
a) terrarium
b) formicarium
c) mukpari
4. Do ants have good eyesight?
a) very good
b) not very good
c) excellent
5.Average life expectancy of a queen ant?
a) 45-60 days
c) 3-7 months
6. Who are foragers?
a) cook ants
b) ants are defenders
c) rogue ants
7. Science that studies ants?
a) Myrmecology
b) Arachnology
Shafagatova Milyausha, student of the 4th grade, MBOU “Secondary School No. 15”, Salavat
Purpose of the study: a comprehensive study of the life of ants.
Tasks:
1. Find information about ants, describe their structure, the social structure of the anthill and its structure.
2. Study the information found.
3. Experimentally observe the behavior of ants in nature .
4. Draw conclusions about the importance of ants in nature.
Research methods:
1. Collection and analysis of information.
2. Observation.
3. Experiment.
Hypothesis: ants living in different anthills react to each other differently.
Object of study: life of ants.
Subject of research: anthills.
Results and conclusions: The experiment carried out in the work proved the hypothesis and the stated goal. Ants from different anthills interact with each other in different ways. If anthills are located nearby, in the same area, we can safely say that the ants will be loyal to their “neighbors,” because the diet, soil and climatic conditions of the area are not different.
The work performed is relevant, interesting and exciting, because ants occupy an important place in the forest ecosystem. During the work, practical skills were obtained with a PC and scientific literature. Increased knowledge of scientific terminology by finding research materials. This work develops attentiveness, observation, patience, the ability to compare, draw conclusions and prove them. In practice, “small discoveries” coincided with scientific views in biology. The results obtained helped change attitudes towards all living organisms, and especially towards ants.
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Republican research competition
within the framework of the scientific and practical conference “Step into Science”
Research work
on the theme "Planet of Ants"
Completed by: Shafagatova Milyausha,
4th grade student
MBOU "Secondary School No. 15" Salavat
Head: Yarygina Larisa Nikolaevna
Salavat
2016
- Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….3
- Main part
Chapter 1. Ant - a unique insect
- The structure of an ant……………………………………………………………4
- Reproduction of ants…………………………………………….4
- Nutrition of ants……………………………………………………………5
- Social structure of an anthill……………………………6
- The importance of ants in the ecosystem …………………………………8
Chapter 2. Studying the behavior of ants in nature
- Experiment No. 1. “Friend - foe”……………………………... 10
- Experiment No. 2. “Favorite food”………………………............10
- Experiment No. 3. “Find the way home”………………...........11
- Conclusion……………………………………………………12
- List of references……………………………..14
- Applications………………………………………………………15
I. Introduction
I really like to spend my summer holidays with my grandparents in the village of Yuldybay, Kugarchinsky district. I have many friends there with whom I have fun. My grandmother has many pets, which are a pleasure for me to care for. The Kaiyntau stream flows not far from the village. The water in it is the purest and most delicious. Every day my grandfather and I go to the source of this stream and collect water. On the way to the source we always come across a large number of anthills of different sizes. Every time I passed by, I watched the anthills and thought: “Where are the ants going?!” They reminded me of the bustle of a big city. I really wanted to know what an anthill is.
Purpose of the study: a comprehensive study of the life of ants.
In accordance with the purpose of the study, I set myself the following tasks:
- Find information about ants, describe their structure, the social structure of the anthill and its structure.
2. Study the information found.
3. Experimentally observe the behavior of ants in nature.
4. Draw conclusions about the importance of ants in nature.
Hypothesis: ants living in different anthills react to each other differently.
Object of study: life of ants.
Subject of research: anthills.
To achieve the desired result I used the following methods:
1. Collection and analysis of information.
2. Observation.
3. Experiment.
This work can be used in “The world around us” lessons and in extracurricular activities.
II. Main part
Chapter 1. Ant - a unique insect
1.1.Structure of an ant
Ants are familiar to every person. They are one of the most mysterious and studied insects in the world. A complex social system, unique communication abilities, ubiquity of distribution - this is not a complete list of intriguing aspects of the existence of ants. Wherever we go - to the forest, to the meadow, to the swamp, everywhere we will meet ants.
Ants are insects from the superfamily Antidae and the order Hymenoptera. They are social insects forming three castes: females, males and workers. .
The body size of the ant is from 0.8 to 30 mm. Color ranges from light yellow to black. Ants' vision, unlike their sense of smell, taste and touch, is poorly developed. The sting and poisonous glands that secrete formic acid are developed in most species of these insects (Appendix. Fig. 1).
There are about 12,000 known species of ants. Of these, 300 species live in Russia. Ants are distributed everywhere except Antarctica and the Far North (Appendix. Fig. 2) .
1.2 Ant reproduction
Ant is an insect with a full development cycle: egg, larva, pupa,
imago.
Life begins with an egg. Eggs are stored in small bags and individual eggs (Appendix Photo 1).
After the incubation period, a worm-like larva, unlike an adult insect, emerges from the egg. At this stage, the insect is actively feeding and growing. While the larvae are small, they are stored, like eggs, in bags. Adult large larvae are located separately and not in a common package (Appendix. Photo 2)
The next stage is the pupae. Before pupation, the larva stops feeding and excretes a fecal pellet, meconium. Before this, as the larva grew, all waste accumulated in its body. Meconium can be seen at the end of the cocoon, in the form of a small black dot (Appendix, Photo 3).
A mature ant imago with light integuments emerges from the pupa (Appendix. Photo 4).
Insects are pulled out of the cocoon by their relatives, since they are not yet able to emerge on their own. After a few days they return to normal color.
1.3 Ant nutrition
The lifespan of an ant is directly related to its social type. The queen ant lives up to 20 years, and the workers exist for no more than 3 years. Males live a very short and eventful life, lasting several weeks.
Ants are able to survive in almost any environment. They use a wide range of food resources. There are predatory ants that eat other insects. For the most part, ants feed on the sap of nectar plants, carrion, aphids or other insects.
There are also types of ants that are attached only to certain foods. For example, harvester ants feed on seeds, while leaf-cutter ants feed on mushrooms they cultivate. It should be noted that the diet of larvae consists mainly of carbohydrates, while adults eat protein foods.
1.4 Social structure of the anthill
Ants are a social insect. Conventionally, they can be divided into three castes: females, males and workers.
An ant family consists of males, who appear during the mating period, and females. One or more main females lay eggs. 2
Once or twice a year, many winged individuals appear in the ant nest. 2 These are the founders of new colonies - young males and females. In warm, calm weather they go on mating flights. After fertilization, the males die, and the females, falling to the ground, bite off their wings and look for a suitable place for the nest. Females may not feed for a year, while doing all the work of building a nest, laying eggs and caring for the young. After the first workers appear, the female only lays eggs. Sometimes this happens for up to 20 years in a row. And during all this time the female no longer mates .
Worker ants perform different functions, but there is a clear division of labor between them.
Builders - build new housing, expand, repair, bring building materials, which are twigs and needles.
Guard - protects the anthill from strangers. These are warrior ants that shoot formic acid in case of danger.
Nannies - care for the brood, feed and transport the larvae to a safe place in case of threat.
Cleaners - carry construction debris and other waste outside the nest.
Gravediggers carry away the corpses of their relatives to the cemetery.
Foragers obtain food:
foragers - scouts provide information;
foragers - hunters kill invertebrates;
foragers - porters bring food to the nest;
foragers - agriculturalists breed and spread aphids to obtain sweet dew; in other words, they milk the aphids.
The language of ants is difficult for humans to understand, but experiments to decipher it have been going on for a long time. It consists of a complex of odors (pheramones), gestures (movements of the limbs) and antennal contacts (touches with the antennae).
When communicating with each other, ants use a variety of signals. They transmit information by touching their antennae, legs, and head. Chemical signals are also used.
1.5 Structure of an anthill
Most of the anthill is hidden from the eyes of those who like to feast on ants. The underground part of the anthill is clean and tidy (Appendix. Fig. 3, 4).
The ants' home is covered with needles and twigs. They protect the anthill from cold and rain. Worker ants repair and renew this covering.
The anthill has a solarium - a chamber heated by the rays of the sun. In the spring, the inhabitants come here to warm themselves.
There are many entrances in the ants' house, one of them, guarded by soldiers, serves as a ventilation duct.
There is also a cemetery. Worker ants carry garbage and dead ants here.
The ants gather in the wintering chamber to survive the cold in a state of semi-hibernation.
Ants store food supplies in the grain barn.
The queen lives in the royal chamber. She lays up to 1,500 eggs a day and is looked after by worker ants.
The anthill contains chambers with eggs, larvae and pupae; barn (a place where ants keep aphids); meat pantry (where foragers bring caterpillars and other prey).
1.6 The importance of ants in the ecosystem
Ants play an important role in the earth's ecosystem. They are major soil builders, energy providers, pollinators, scavengers, biological pest control agents, indicators of ecosystem health, and an important component of the food chain.
Walking through the forest, you will notice that the trees around the anthill are greener and taller. Scientists say that a nest of ants destroys up to 100 thousand harmful insects per day. Ants loosen the soil, creating conditions for supplying it with air.
Conclusions on the chapter:
Chapter 2. Studying the behavior of ants in nature
2.1 Experiment No. 1. "One's Own - A Stranger's"
Purpose of the experiment: studying the behavior of ants from different anthills.
The subject of the study is an anthill, which is located in a mixed forest along the bank of the Kaiyntau stream.
Progress of the experiment
My grandfather and I brought an alien ant from a pine forest called Airylma near the village of Yuldybaevo, Kugarchinsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. (Appendix. Photos 5, 6, 7).
First, I took an ant from the nearest anthill and released it into another larger anthill. No one attacked him, and no one paid attention. I did the same with the ant from the pine forest. The ant was instantly attacked. He was torn to pieces.
Conclusion: ants distinguish their relatives from ants from an anthill, which is located in another area, since they did not accept an ant from a pine forest. They live in peace with the inhabitants of the nearby anthills. This was repeated several times during the experiment. After all, they did not attack a relative of the neighboring anthill.
2.2 Experiment No. 2. "Favorite Food"
Goal: identifying the feeding preferences of ants.
Equipment : honey (carbohydrates), chicken meat, dung worm, grasshopper (proteins).
Progress of the experiment:
I laid out honey, chicken meat, dung worm and grasshopper on the anthill. First, the ants began to eat the dung worm (Appendix, Photo 8).
At this time, no one paid attention to other food. When the worm was eaten, the ants approached the meat, but were not active. At the same time, they began to eat the grasshopper and honey (Appendix. Photo 9, 10, 11).
Three hours later, everything at the experimental site disappeared. The feast for the entire anthill was over.
Conclusion: ants prefer protein food (worms). They also do not refuse other types of food. Ants are omnivores.
2.3 Experiment No. 3. "Find Your Way Home"
Goal: test the ability of ants to find their way by smell.
Equipment: cardboard, eau de toilette, twig.
Progress of the experiment:
For the purity of the experiment, I treated the edges of the cardboard with eau de toilette. I took several ants from the anthill and released them into the middle of the cardboard. The ants began to run across the cardboard from side to side (Appendix, Photo 12).
Then I took a long dry twig and put it in the anthill so that it would absorb the smell of their home. After 10 minutes, ants began to run through it. Then I built a bridge from this branch between the cardboard and the anthill (Appendix. Photo 13, 14).
Smelling the scent of their relatives, they began to move home along the branch.
Conclusion: ants navigate the area by smell. As soon as they were confused by the unnatural smell, they were confused. But having felt the “native smell”, the ants easily found their way home.
Conclusions on the chapter:
III. Conclusion
I was curious about studying ants. These are amazing creatures for whom everything is fine-tuned like clockwork: everyone performs their duties conscientiously. They amazed me with their hard work and abilities, their collectivism in the struggle for survival, and helping each other.
Ants are unique insects. A complex social system, unique communication abilities, ubiquity of distribution - this is not a complete list of intriguing aspects of the existence of ants. An ant is an insect with a full development cycle: egg, larva, pupa, imago. Ants are able to survive in almost any environment. They use a wide range of food resources. There are predatory ants that eat other insects. For the most part, ants feed on the sap of nectar plants, carrion, aphids or other insects. Conventionally, they can be divided into three castes: females, males and workers. Worker ants perform different functions, but there is a clear division of labor between them. The anthill has a complex structure. It consists of a solarium chamber, a cemetery, a wintering chamber, a grain barn, a royal chamber, a chamber with eggs, larvae and pupae, a cowshed, and a meat storage room.
After conducting experiments, I found out that ants from different anthills interact differently. For example, if anthills are nearby, located in the same area, we can safely say that the ants will be loyal to their “neighbors”, because the diet, soil and climatic conditions of the area are not different.
During the experiments, I found out that ants distinguish their relatives from strangers.
Ants are omnivores. They prefer protein foods (worms).
Ants navigate the area by smell, which was established through repeated experiments.
I believe that my work is relevant because ants occupy an important place in the forest ecosystem. It’s not for nothing that they are called “forest orderlies.” After all, when building their anthills, they use twigs and sticks, thereby cleaning the forest. Ants destroy many harmful insects and carry plant seeds. Some species of birds fly to ants to cleanse themselves of pests that have entered their plumage, since ants are active predators. They quickly switch to new, abundant food sources and thus can suppress pest outbreaks. Moreover, ant venom contains antibiotics that effectively kill fungi and bacteria - the causative agents of typhoid, cholera, and tuberculosis.
This work helped me gain practical skills in working with a computer, expand my knowledge of scientific terminology, and find materials for research; observe, compare, prove and draw conclusions. I am glad that my “little” discoveries coincided with scientific views in biology. The results obtained changed my attitude towards all living organisms, and especially towards ants.
The world around us is large and diverse. I will continue to study the nature of our region to preserve animals and plants.
IV. List of used literature:
- Dlussky G.M., Bukin A.P. Meet us! Ants. M.: Education, 1982 – 128 p.
- Zakharov A.A. Ant, family, colonies. M.: Education, 1984. – 272 p.
- Zorina Z.A., Poletaeva I.I. I explore the world. M.: Astrel, 2001 – 448 p.
- Fabre J.-A. Life of insects. Stories of an entomologist. Abbr. translation from French and processing by N.N. Plavilshchikov. - M.: State educational and pedagogical publishing house, 1963. - 460 p.
- Khalifman I.A. “Password of crossed antennas (Ants)” M.: Detgiz, 1962 – 304 p.
Internet resources:
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/
