Research paper about ants. Research work "ants". IV. List of used literature

MKOU "Christmas Basic Comprehensive School

them. Hero of the Soviet Union I. M. Chertenkov "

Research on this topic: "The life of forest ants"

Completed: 8th grade student

Posokhova Elizabeth

Leader: geography teacher

and biology V.N. Feofilova

2017

Content

1.Introduction…………………………………………………………………..2

2. The study of the ecological features of the anthill as an ecosystem…..……………………..…………………………………

2.1. Research methodology…………………………………………………3

2.2. Features of the structure of red ants …………………………........7
2.3. Description of the anthill ………………………………………………... 8

2.4. Research effectiveness …………………………………….. 10

2.5 The study of extra-nesting activities of ants…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11

3.Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Literature………………………………………………………………. .16

Twilight and heat stand in the forest.

Resins seep through the bark.

And you will go into the forest distance and wilderness,

Dryness smells like ant alcohol.

In more often anthills do not sleep -

Move, sway, boil,

Yes, squirrels flicker in the sky,

Like arrows, from pine to pine ...

S. Marshak

1. Introduction.

These beautiful lines are involuntarily recalled when one enters the eternally mysterious, thoughtful and full of quivering life green twilight of the forest.
It is unlikely that there will be a person who at least once did not stop near the anthill, fascinated by such a distant and at the same time inexplicably close world of these amazing insects. What attracts us to ants, first of all, is that in many of their actions we can find some semblance of our own affairs and problems. Ants are among those few living creatures that not only adapt themselves to their environment, but also actively rebuild the world in relation to their needs, their tasks. Ants are eternal builders. Nests of many species are striking in their size, complex and rational architectonics. Ants are characterized by a special quality - "sociality", that is, the obligatory existence only of communities (families, communities). It was this quality that allowed ants to take pride of place in the world of invertebrates.

Everyone knows the role of ants in the biocenosis - accelerating the decomposition of plant residues, reducing the number of wintering and stem pests, and thereby promoting the growth of forest stand. In many respects, an anthill is a convenient model object for studying the principles of organization of biological systems, the structure of populations and biocenoses, and a number of problems important for science and practice.

The study of the lifestyle of an anthill, the extra-nesting activity of red forest ants seems to me a very interesting and urgent task.

Goal of the work : to reveal the role of red wood ants in the forest ecosystem, their behavior and social way of life.

Tasks:

1. conduct field research of the anthill;

2. to conduct a series of experiments to study the extra-nesting activity of ants.

3. identify the role of ants in the forest ecosystem and offer recommendations for their protection.

Relevance of the study (problems)

There is a lot of talk about pollution these days. environment, about the use of a huge number chemical substances: pesticides, mineral fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, etc. Against the backdrop of widespread environmental pollution, the issue of reducing the use of chemicals and the wider use of biological methods to control plant pests becomes very relevant. Ants as orderlies of the forest come to the fore in this case.

Terms of study : April - May 2017

Place : Timsky district, with. Rozhdestvenka, the territory of the Christmas school

The ongoing research has a practical focus. I not only investigate the ecological characteristics of red ants, their important role in nature is clarified, but also the protective activity of anthills is carried out

2. Research ecological features of the anthill as an ecosystem .

2.1. Research methods:
- field research (method of laying test sites, geobotanical description, soil study), work with popular science literature, statistical method of processing results, observation method, laboratory research method, experimental method, measuring the parameters of ant nests and the length of trails using a tape measure.

The research work was carried out according to the plan:

The study of popular scientific literature and the determination of the general features of the object of study - the Red forest ant (Formica rufa) - a social insect.

Examination of the school territory, finding an anthill and determining its characteristics.

Study of the extra-nesting life of ants:

- identification of ways of communication of ants with the help of pheromones and antennae, protection of ants;

- movement of ants in space, hunting instinct.

4. Studying ant trails.

5. Carrying out short-term laboratory experiments to prove the "sociality" of ants, determination and identification of the main objects brought to the nest by ants and the study of the taste preferences of red forest ants

6. Determining the role of ants and making recommendations for their protection.

7. Carrying out protective measures of the studied anthills.

The method of laying trial sites.

The trial plot method is used for sedentary or immobile individuals, most often for geobotanical description.

1. For laying a trial site, the following equipment is required: 4 pegs, a rope measuring 10m by 4 with markings, a compass. To study the forest community, it is necessary to lay a test site measuring 20 x 20 m.

2. Determine the average step length.

Methods of geobotanical description.

To simplify the description of the parameters of the physical environment and the phytocenosis itself, a form was developed for describing the area of ​​vegetation cover, i.e. a table with pre-lined graphs for each environment description parameter. Forms are filled directly in the field - at the site of the description. I used the simplest method of geobotanical description of the forest by A.S. Bogolyubov and A.B. Pankova

Soil research methodology.

I take soil samples and characterize soil properties using tables.

Table 1. Determination of the mechanical composition of the soil.

Table 2. Determination of soil moisture.

3. the soil noticeably cools the hand

moisturized

4. In cracks and pores, the presence of moisture is noticeable, the soil is very cold to the hand

wet

5. When a lump of soil is compressed, a drop of water is released

raw

6. Water is released from lumps of soil or from the wall of the soil digging

wet

The degree of soil change under human influence can be assessed by the depth of penetration of a shovel, which two students stand at the same time. By determining the depth to which the tip of a shovel penetrates outside it, you can assess the degree of soil compaction.

Soil acidity is determined using litmus paper. A soil sample is taken and if there is a color change from yellow to crimson, then the soil is acidic.

The temperature of the soil inside the nest is determined by atmospheric and soil thermometers.

Methodology daily activity ants - long term observations

methodology for studying the group effect - a long-term laboratory experiment.

2.2 Research results

2.2.1. General information about ants.

After studying the popular science literature, I have identified the following general data about ants. About fifteen thousand species of ants are known in the world. All of them lead a social lifestyle, as ants live in communities or colonies. Among ants there are predators, seed eaters, and mushroom growers. The red wood ant (Formica rufa) belongs to the Hymenoptera class of insects. It is the most common and frequently found in Russia, it builds ant nests up to 1 m high. Formica rufa lives in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests over 40 years old, although single nests are found in biotopes with dense undergrowth. Their anthills can be found in open, well-warmed glades and forest edges.

All ants are social insects living in families. The number of individuals can vary from a few dozen to several million. An ant family is a perennial, well-organized community of individuals, consisting of sexual individuals (males and females), as well as worker ants, which are underdeveloped, sterile females under normal conditions. The role of males is reduced to the fertilization of young winged females. Males usually appear in the anthill shortly before the mating season and die shortly after mating. The female is fertilized once and at the same time receives a huge supply of sperm, which in her body is consumed gradually throughout her life. The life span of an ant female is maximum for the insect world - up to 20 years. Fertilized females shed their wings and either establish a new family or remain in their anthill. Sometimes young females are accepted into other, already existing families of their species.

The anthill society can be divided into groups:

Fertile females (womb, queen)

Males (drones)

Workers - barren females, wingless (porters, nannies, cleaners, builders, foragers, scouts, hunters, soldiers)

Reproduction and resettlement

reproduction

Care for the female, male, offspring; build and protect nests, provide food

2.3. Features of the structure of red ants are as follows :

1. Body sizes from 0.8 to 30 mm. Coloration from light yellow to black.

2. The chitinous external skeleton serves as the basis to which the striated skeletal muscles are attached.

3. The respiratory system of ants, like the vast majority of other insects, is tracheal. The tracheae open outwards with spiracles, or stigmas.

4. Hemolymph ("blood") of ants is a colorless liquid. It circulates through the body of the insect due to the work of the dorsal vessel ("heart") - a muscular tube that runs along the entire dorsal surface of the body.

5. The digestive organs of ants are divided into the pre-oral chamber and the digestive tract itself. Preoral chamber - serves as a receiver for liquid and semi-liquid food. Food is “sorted” in it - everything edible enters the mouth, and inedible particles are excreted in the form of lumps shaped like a chamber. The digestive tract consists of the anterior, middle and posterior sections. In figurative terms, goiter is the "public stomach" of ants. The food stored in it is distributed among the entire population of the nest.

6. Vision in ants is poorly developed, but smell, taste and touch are good. Ants perceive the smell with the flagellum of the antennae. Ants perfectly distinguish the subtlest shades of smell, incomprehensible to us. The taste organs of ants are located on the flagella of the antennae, on the lower lip. By smell, they distinguish their own from strangers. By smell, they find their way to their anthill. The odorous substance is called a pheromone. Ants have a lot of them. Some pheromones serve as an alarm, others make you clean the anthill, take care of the queen, and raise offspring.

7. Developed poisonous glands that secrete formic acid. All representatives of the subfamily Formicinae do not have a sting and use their jaws for protection and spray out the excretion of a poisonous gland, and depending on the predominance of one or another method of protection, iron can be developed in different ways.

The structure of anthills

1. Covered with sticks and twigs. Protects the dwelling from the vicissitudes of the weather, is repaired and updated by worker ants.

2. "Solarium" - a chamber heated by the rays of the sun. In the spring, the inhabitants come here to warm themselves.

3. One of the entrances. Guarded by soldiers. Serves as a ventilation channel.

4. "Cemetery". This is where worker ants carry dead brethren and garbage.

5. Winter chamber. Insects gather here to survive the cold in a state of semi-hibernation.

6. "Bread barn". This is where the ants store grain.

7. The royal chamber, where the uterus lives, laying up to one and a half thousand eggs a day. She is cared for by worker ants.

8. Chambers with eggs, larvae and pupae.

9. "Cowshed" where ants keep aphids.

10. "Meat pantry", where foragers bring caterpillars and other prey.

2.4. Description of the anthill .

The physical and geographical position of the trial site on which the studied anthill is located.

The study area is located 100 m northwest of the school with. Rozhdestvenka. Terrain: slightly hilly plain. The climate of the area is temperate continental, with warm summers and moderately cold winters. The area is located in the forest-steppe zone, soil type: gray forest and chernozem, groundwater occurs at great depths. There are many typical oak-forest plants in the grass canopy of the forest. In spring, goose onions, corydalis, anemone, lungwort, and chistyak bloom. Later, they are joined by medicinal, chickweed, oregano, stone fruit, yasnotka, strawberries, and doubtful violet. Luxurious cover forms here bracken fern. The species composition of the plant world is diverse, the dominant species are oak, aspen, birch, undergrowth is represented by aspen, thorns, grass cover is much higher and denser around anthills and consists mainly of plants demanding soil fertility, but at the same time capable of growing on acidic soils : feather grass in open areas, wormwood, wild strawberry, common nettle. From wild rose and hawthorn are often found, and sloeforms impenetrable thickets. The grass cover in the shrub thickets is represented by meadow-steppe herbs: common oregano, meadow clover, steppe sage, real bedstraw, Russian cornflower with an admixture of beautiful feather grass, awnless bonfire and other cereals. The object under study is an anthill.

Description of the ant.

3 anthills were found on the test site under study. The largest anthill No. 1 is located on the south side of the tree under the oaks. The dome of the anthill is high and steep. Its height is 57 cm. Its diameter is 1 m 30 cm. The sloping part of the anthill is located on the south side. Next to it, at a distance of 8 m, there are 2 more anthills, lower ones with a height of 35 and 42 cm, but with the same steep dome.

The entire anthill No. 1 is riddled with passages (especially in the middle and on top), along which the ants drag small building material outward: woody and grassy particles, twigs, sticks, blades of grass, leaves.

The observations of the paths along which the movement of ant streams in the study area is carried out showed the following. Most of the trails are classified as foraging, as ants transport food along them. The paths are laid mainly to the trunks of trees with traces of damage by various pests, to clusters of knots and twigs, leaf litter. The maximum traffic on the trails is observed in the daytime.

Soil study results.

Table 3. Comparative table of soil characteristics far away and near the anthill.

Table analysis.

According to the table, the soil of the anthill is more structural, better mechanical composition, looser, moister, and therefore more fertile. The temperature of the soil near the nest is higher than in the distance. This is primarily due to the fact that inside the anthill itself the temperature is higher than outside, respectively, and the soil also warms up.

The acidity of the soil in the anthill is also increased.

Conclusion: in natural biocenoses,nest-building activity of ants, is of great soil-forming importance :

When laying nests, ants loosen the soil and facilitate air access to the roots of the plant. In addition, ants excrete excrement, bring various organic residues into the nest, and thereby enrich the soil with carbon, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and many trace elements, thereby making the soil more fertile.

A specific environment is formed in the nests, which contributes to a more rapid decomposition of plant residues falling into the nest, an increase in the biological activity of soils, because. at a higher nest temperature than in the surrounding soil, the microflora - bacteria, fungi - develops better in the anthill. Decomposition is accelerated tenfold.

That's whyresearched nest of red wood ants more than 1 m in diameteris a "fertility factory" and so powerful that it is able to have a serious impact on the growth of not only grasses and shrubs growing directly near anthills, but also trees that are quite distant from the anthill.

2.5. Study of the extra-nesting life of ants

Experiment No. 1 "Protection of ants"

When I slightly moved the anthill branch, the disturbed ants assumed a defensive posture. Holding my palm over the anthill, I felt a burning sensation and a smell of formic acid. Then I held the blue litmus paper and it turned red, so the ants are "shooting" out of the tank a trickle of liquid, consisting mainly of a mixture of formic acid and other hydrocarbons. Formic acid is a poison that ants use to defend themselves and kill their prey. So, in this way, ants protect themselves and their anthill

Experiment No. 2 "Identification of communication methods of ants using pheromones and antennae"

An experiment with replanting ants from another anthill.

I planted ants on the path next to the anthill and on the anthill, 10 individuals in each case. Alien identification occurred only through direct contact of individuals (mutual palpation with antennae). The reaction of an ant that directly came into contact with an alien individual was supported by 2-3 ants located directly in the vicinity of the conflict zone. The alien individual did not always attack, in most cases it was allowed to escape. Alien ants planted on the trail were attacked and destroyed in 8 cases. At 20 cm from the dome of the anthill outside the path, the movement of ants is outwardly more chaotic, which to some extent prevents direct contacts of individuals. Here, 10% of the aliens were identified and destroyed. When replanting individuals from another family on the dome of the anthill, the percentage of those killed was 50%

The experiment with the movement of ants from one path to another was a control in relation to the first.

I took 5 ants from the ant trail that leads from the anthill, it is not attacked even if it is taken very far from the anthill. This suggests that ants distinguish the inhabitants of their anthill from aliens of the same species.

An experiment on communication with antennae.

Taking carefully one of the ants (worker ant) ​​with tweezers and dipping its abdomen in the correction fluid (stroke), sent it back to the surface of the anthill. One of his relatives noticed the "stranger" and fussed - he ran to inform everyone about the possible danger, transmitting information with the help of the cherished antennae, crossing his antennae with the antennae of a relative: the information was transmitted and several ants ran to the "imaginary enemy". Running up to him, the stranger made several movements with his antennae and was recognized by his relatives. After that, they approached the victim and carefully began to clean off this unfamiliar white substance from the abdomen.

Conclusion: The main way ants communicate with each other is through special chemicals - pheromones, but they also communicate using peculiar antennae - antennae.

Experiment No. 3 "Movement of ants in space, hunting instinct"

Hunting instinct experiment

I put prey (caterpillars) at a certain distance from the path and from the anthill. The result was the following: the closer the prey is from the trail or anthill, the faster and more individuals find it. Differences in the timing of detection along the trail are explained by different distances.

Obstacle Detection Experiment

I put a board measuring 35 cm by 10 cm and 2 cm thick on the path in different positions and checking the reaction of the ants. It was expected that the new substrate, which does not have the smell of an ant trail, will cause an exploratory reaction and some time will be spent on the restoration of the trail. However, this did not happen. The board, located both along and across the path, the ants passed without delay. The board, placed on its edge, after a short study, the ants bypassed and returned to the path.

Conclusion: when using a familiar path, insects use not only the sense of smell, but also the ability to navigate. Woody objects appearing on the trails are not a big surprise (the smell of wood is familiar to them). Ants avoid obstacles with high vertical walls, demonstrating the ability to navigate.

Short-term laboratory studies:

1. "Socialities" of ants.

I placed the ants in different test tubes. A few days later, I saw that those who sit in threes dug up more sand than single ones. A few days later, all singles died, and the rest were alive. So I learned that those ants that are together live more, and one ant will not live long. In fact, the ant is a dependent organism. There are no single ants in nature, and my experience proved the "sociality" of ants. The emergence of ants is inextricably linked with the emergence of a family (community, community) of these insects. A family is a permanent, long-term association of individual insects interacting with each other, depending on each other and on the community as a whole. The connection of the ant with the family is so great that an isolated loner inevitably dies.

2. Identification and identification of the main objects brought to the nest by ants.

Despite the time of day, ants actively collect food and building material for their anthill. The diet of ants is very diverse: it is dominated by some of the representatives of Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, as well as bugs, dragonflies and annelids.

3. Studying the Taste Preferences of Red Wood Ants

She put small pieces of biscuits, wheat bread, chocolate candy, apples, a pinch of sugar and salt. Most of the ants were fond of sweets and only a few were interested in salt. After 1 hour, all the products laid out on the anthill were gone, and only salt crystals remained in their original place.

The results of the studies have shown an undeniably beneficial effect of ants on the environment. My small discoveries were confirmed by many years of research described in the literature.

The direct influence of the anthill:

destruction of pests and foliage;

soil enrichment with humus, K, N, P, Mg in forms available to plants;

increase in the number of insectivorous birds;

renewal of soil-demanding forest species.

Indirect influence of the anthill:

reduction in the number of stem pests;

increase in growing growth;

maintaining the growth of tree crowns in pest outbreaks;

increasing forest productivity;

increasing the biological stability of plantings.

Thus, working with forest red ants, I became convinced of their biospheric role in maintaining the stability of the forest ecosystem, soil fertility, and came to the conclusion that they must be protected and protected. Compiledrecommendations for the protection of ants , which I promoted among the students of the school and the villagers:

Follow the rules of behavior in the forest.


Do not ruin the anthill - ants are the orderlies of the forest, they bring a lot of benefits


Do not leave garbage in the forest, you will not want to come to the littered forest anymore, and besides:

left trash can catch fire from bright sunlight and start a fire;

cellophane and polyethylene do not decompose for a long time.

Do not light a fire near an anthill.


Don't leave the fire unextinguished.


Leave the place of your parking in the form in which you would like to find it on your next visit.

3. Conclusion of the study.

This work is very interesting and exciting. As a result of field studies of the anthill, the following were studied:

structural features of the anthill of red forest ants,


diet of red wood ants,


the activity of moving ants along the paths,

experiments were carried out to study the extra-nesting activity of ants: communication methods, hunting instinct,


proved the "sociality of ants",


the role of ants in the forest ecosystem was revealed and recommendations for their protection were proposed.

Ants are the real defenders of the forest, an integral part of the forest biocenosis. It is known that it is easier to save nature than to restore it later. And, if it is known that ants can help us in the conservation of forests, then we are simply obliged to preserve them, protect them and, if possible, resettle them.

Literature:

1. Alekseev S.V. Gruzdeva N.V. Workshop on Ecology: Textbook / Ed. S.V. Alekseeva-M.: AO MDS, 1996 - p.68.

2. Zakharov A.A. Ant, family, colony. - M .: Publishing House "Nauka", 1978

3. Dlussky G. M. Ants of the genus Formica. Moscow: Nauka, 1967

4. Methods of geobotanical research. Toolkit. M., 1996

5. Plants and animals: A guide for a naturalist: Per. from German / K. Nidon, Dr. I. Peterman, P. Scheffel. – M.: Mir, 1991.

6. Khalifman I. A. Ants. Moscow: Young guard, 1967.

7. Kharitonov N. P., Dunaev E. A. The study of the extra-nesting life of ants: A methodological guide for the implementation of an educational and research topic. - M.: MGDPiSh, 1992. - 33 p.

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1. Introduction.

Research topic: Who lives in an anthill.

Who will say which insects are the most numerous on earth? The most numerous are ants. Look at the earth, and unless you are in a modern city, you will find ants everywhere: in the north, in the south, in the mountains, in the lowlands, in the fields in the forest. They are different: small, barely visible to the eye, large - up to a centimeter long, light yellow, brown, black, red, red, with spots and stripes.

Relevance: The social life of an ant is very complex and interesting. Careful observation of the life of ants cannot but suggest the striking similarity between the social life of man and these insects. First of all, ants are interesting for their complex social behavior. Each ant performs its own, specific type of work. Their attitude towards work is amazing. Ants are the hardest working creatures in the world! People should draw many positive points from ant behavior. The main role model could be taking care of your family.

Object of study is a red wood ant.

The subject of research is the observation of ants in natural conditions.

Hypothesis: Ants are social insects with complex behavior.

Purpose of the study: study and substantiate the life of ants.

To achieve our goal, we have set ourselves the following tasks:

Familiarize yourself with reference books.

Learn research methodology.

Make practical observations.

Summarize the received material.

Make a photo and video report about the life of ants.

Research methods:

study literature

take a trip to the forest

observations and experiments to study the behavior of ants

analysis of the obtained results.

Practical significance work lies in the fact that the research materials can be used in the lessons of the surrounding world and class hours.

Novelty for me is the opportunity to learn and learn something new.

II. Main part.

1. Ants are the oldest creatures on Earth.

Once my parents gave me a collection of "Insects". The ant intrigued me. I wanted to know - how do ants eat, communicate, breed, where do they live in winter? Therefore, I decided to take a closer look at the life of a forest ant, a small inhabitant of our native Penza region. I started my work in the summer, as they are more accessible for study during this period. In the summer I was in the role of a scientist-mirmecologist .

From book sources, the Internet 1, I learned an interesting fact that for more than twenty-five million years ants have been living as social insects. This was proved by paleontologists on the findings of ants (no different from those that we know) in fossilized resin - amber. (Fig. 1)

Picture 1.

About fifteen thousand species of ants are known in the world, and each of them differs not only in the structure of the body, but also in the way of life. According to the calculations of one of the most respected myrmecologists of the 2nd world, Edward Wilson, from 1 to 10 quadrillion individuals of ants, individual ants, live on Earth today. Incredible, but true - for every living person there are about a million of these creatures, and their total mass is approximately equal to the total mass of all people.

The life of ants is very complex, their behavior depends on the mass of various instincts. Ants have a well-developed signaling, division of labor, there is a certain routine of life.

Conclusion: Ants are the oldest animals, as they live on Earth for more than 130 million years.

Wikipedia is a free public multilingual universal Internet encyclopedia.C; Alekseev V.A. 300 questions and answers about insects. - Yaroslavl: Academy of Development, 2007.

http://films.imhonet.ru/element/1195489/movie-online/Planet of Secrets (April, 2013), Myrmecology is the science of ants

2. The structure of the anthill.

In the forest thicket, on the edges, in a field, in a meadow, in copses, on the banks of a river or stream, near large and small trees - everywhere we can meet anthills. There are large, visible from afar houses of anthills in the forest - just handsome skyscrapers. Their height is more than one and a half meters, and paths diverge in all directions from the anthill, along which its inhabitants - ants scurry about.

As a rule, an anthill is built from spruce needles, leaves and small branches. The anthill is a beautiful, multi-storey building with many apartments, warm, cozy rooms, bedrooms, children's rooms, storage rooms, a garbage bin and a toilet, with good ventilation. All entrances and exits pass Fresh air deep into the anthill. Ants keep their homes perfectly clean.

They brought small twigs, pieces of bark, large needles. They folded it, strengthened it with earth moistened with saliva. And now a tall, rounded cone has grown. Therefore, rain, even the strongest downpour, will not wet the anthill, the dome is round and streamlined. The downpour even strengthens the anthill - the needles and twigs are held together by earth, clay, like cement. (video fragment 1)

Video clip 1

And the wind can do nothing with the anthill - the needles lie tightly. And so that they are better ventilated and do not rot, the ants "came up" with one trick. Every four days they remove the old needles and take them inside the anthill. This is how the ants go over the roof all the time and protect it from mold. Under the roof of the anthill there is a whole labyrinth of passages - corridors, branches, chambers. The anthill is completely porous, multi-storey. Anthills also have "cellars": passages, passages, chambers go into the ground for several more "ant" floors. To get inside the anthill, special entrances are made. Red forest ants live in large families in anthills, which consist of an aboveground part and an underground nest. Conclusion: An anthill is a very complex architectural structure in the shape of a cone, the size of which reaches 2 - 2.5 m in height.

3. Life in an anthill.

A few males, with rare exceptions, do not take part in the life of the colony. They remain in the nest until the mating season, and after it they are homeless and unable to take care of themselves.

They rise to the surface of their dwelling and fly over it. This is a mating flight. After fertilization, the females descend to the ground, shed their wings and establish new nests. Often, young females fall into anthills, from which they flew out.

Males die after mating flight.

In late autumn, the stormy life of the anthill stops. Ants climb into deep underground chambers and there, huddled in a large lump, fall into a stupor until spring (video clip 2).

Video clip 2.

But on the thawed top of the dome in April, we already see ants crawling lazily. In the sun, they warm up and accumulate heat. Ants defend themselves from enemies, putting forward their abdomen and hitting the enemy with well-aimed shots of formic acid. This poison has a significant effect on the nervous system, heart function and respiration 3. Three weeks after the use of acid, the contents of the venom gland in ants are completely restored (Fig. 2).

Figure 2.

______________________________________________________________________________

Observation

Experiment.

Hypothesis:

Ants use formic acid to protect the anthill.

I put a clean handkerchief on an anthill, on the surface of which there are many ants (photo 1)

Conclusion: ants use formic acid to protect the anthill

4. "Professions" of ants.

Curious how ants come to food. One of the ants - a scout, who found a food object, directs the other - a forager to food. (Photo 2, photo 3)

Observation

Hypothesis:

ants inform each other.

Photo 2. Photo 3.

This can happen in various ways: when one of the foragers attaches itself to the scout and follows him until he finds food, or when the foragers from the top of the nest observe where the scout brought the prey from and go there (video fragment 3).

Conclusion: Ants inform each other, distinguish the inhabitants of their anthill from the inhabitants of someone else's, use formic acid to protect the anthill.

Video clip 3.

Foragers are not the only "profession" of worker ants. In every family there is a division of labor and each group is responsible for doing its own work. Soldiers (Fig. 3), scouts, observers on the trails, road restorers after their destruction, nurse ants (Fig. 4) - this is not a complete list of ant "professions".

Figure 3. Figure 4.

5. The role of ants in the ecosystem.

Ants are known as the most useful insects, although, of course, animals that are useless for nature do not exist at all.

Ants loosen the soil, creating conditions for supplying it with air; accelerate the decomposition of plant residues and fertilize the soil with humus, destroy many wood-destroying insects, contributing to the growth of the forest stand. Leaf-eating insects make up to 90% of the diet of ants. In addition, ants improve the water regime of the soil and regulate its acidity. Under the anthill, it is usually lighter and less acidic due to the increase in alkaline cations.

Observation

In the summer, I watched how ants hunt, and came to the conclusion that by eating various insects, ants protect the forest from possible pests. (photo 4)

Conclusion: understanding the importance of these insects in the conservation of the forest ecosystem, people should protect the anthills. Anthills should not die when deforestation is cut down, they should not be barbarously ruined by people!

6. Why is it necessary to protect the red forest ant?

Protecting the forest from pests and diseases is a very important environmental task. The most environmentally sound methods of pest control are all measures to keep the forest in it in a healthy state, to maintain its biological balance 4.

The value of ants in nature and human life:

Participate in the soil-forming process (loosening, oxygen enrichment, fertilize, mix).

Regulate the number of insect pests of the forest (destroy the larvae).

Formic acid is an effective remedy against ticks.

Conclusion: Ants are friends of the forest. We must protect the anthills from destruction. Red wood ants are included in the "Red List of Threatened Species" of the International Red Book of the World Conservation Union in the status of "close to the transition to the threatened group."

IV. Conclusion.

My project was called “Who lives in an anthill”. The goal that I set for myself, I have achieved. As a result of the work done, I learned:

1. Set a goal and achieve it,

2. Plan your actions,

3. Find information from different sources, choose the main thing,

4. Conduct observations.

Who lives in an anthill? I learned about the composition of the ant family, that despite the apparent chaos, strict order reigns in the anthill: each ant is busy with its own business. Ants have their own "professions", which are very similar to the professions of humans. I also learned how the anthill is arranged inside. Now I. During the work on the project, I realized the exceptional role of these insects in the conservation of the forest ecosystem. After all, they are natural defenders of the forest from pests and diseases. My hypothesis put forward at the beginning of the project was fully confirmed.

After studying the life of ants, I made a mock-up of an anthill (photo 5) and collected interesting video material about the life of ants (Appendix No. 1).

III Practical research.

Observations
Observation No. 1 "The size of the forest ant"	I measured and concluded: the red wood ant has a body size of 4 mm to 9 mm
Observation No. 2 "The anthill is a complex architectural structure"	Having been in the forest, I noticed that the structure of the anthill is in the shape of a cone, the size of which reaches 2 - 2.5 m in height.
Observation No. 3 "Location of the anthill"	I noticed that the anthills are not the same, but are always located on the south side of the tree.
Observation No. 4 "The structure of the anthill"	The top layer of the anthill is a covering of needles and twigs brought by builder ants. This layer protects the home from bad weather.
Observation No. 5 "Behavior of a forest ant in autumn"	In late autumn, the stormy life of the anthill stops. Ants climb into underground chambers and there, huddled in a large lump, fall into a stupor until spring.
Experiment		Hypothesis
Experiment #1		Ants inform each other: having received valuable information, the foragers went to the plate, guided by the smell left by the scout. And soon they were at their destination.	I put food on the plate.		The hypothesis was confirmed
Experiment #2		Ants distinguish the inhabitants of their anthill from the inhabitants of someone else's.	In the anthill that was being monitored, I transplanted an ant from another anthill.		Alien ant was attacked by the owners.

Resources Used

Alekseev V.A. 300 questions and answers about insects. - Yaroslavl: Academy of Development, 2007.

Dlussky G.M., Bukin A.P. Meet the ants! - M.: Agropromizdat, 2009.

Zakharov A.A. Ant, family, colony. - M.: Nauka, 2008.

Tarabarina T.I., Sokolova E.I. Both study and play. Natural history. - Yaroslavl: Academy of Development, 2012.

Khalifman I.A. Operation Forest Ants. - M.: Timber industry, 2012.

Reader for extracurricular reading on the course "Man and the World". Author-compiler V.M. Vdovichenko. - Minsk: PUE "Unipress Publishing House", 2004.

Other sources of information

http://www .floranimal.ru/familes/4810.htm/ Ants Family (September 2014)

http://www.antclub.ru/muravi/ Antclub. Ants (September 2014)

http://www.mirnasekomyh.ru/muravej.htm/ Insect World (September 2014)

http://films.imhonet.ru/element/1195489/movie-online/Planet of Mystery (April, 2013)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmtSKdnHBdoThe hidden life of ants (July 2009)

Okhotnikov Alexander Sergeevich

The purpose of the project is to observe the life of ants, to collect the necessary information about these amazing insects from popular science literature, to gain new knowledge about the structure of the anthill, to find out the importance of ants for nature and humans. The topic is relevant in our time, since now there are a lot of ants and anthills destroyed without thinking about the consequences. Although ants have brought and bring great benefits to nature and man.

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MUNICIPAL AUTONOMOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

GENERAL SECONDARY (FULL) SCHOOL №3

Beloyarsky

Project in the nomination No. 11 "First Steps"

Project theme

"THE AMAZING ANTS..."

Okhotnikov Alexander Sergeevich

4 b class

Scientific supervisor of the project:

Karpenko Inna Vladimirovna

MOSSh №3

Primary school teacher

Beloyarsky

2013

These amazing ants...

annotation

It is unlikely that there will be a person who at least once did not stop near the anthill, fascinated by such a distant and at the same time inexplicably close world of these amazing insects. The distance separating us is enormous. The worries of these troublesome creatures may seem to some simply unworthy of a serious conversation. But there is something in these worries that makes us look at our smaller brothers more carefully and with respect.

Goal of the work: to carry out a study based on real observations of the life of an ant family; find confirmation of theoretical knowledge acquired in the study of popular science literature; to gain new knowledge about the structure of an anthill, to find out the significance of ants for nature and man.

Tasks : get to know the family of ants; to study the structural features of the anthill; find out what types of ants exist; analyze the benefits that ants bring to plants and humans.

The following methods research: method of observation, analysis of theoretical literature and encyclopedic sources.

The paper gives a characteristic of a large family of insects - ants, describes in detail the structure of an ant, an anthill, which is a labyrinth with many passages and chambers, located underground, as well as ants living in a nest and performing various functions. The author provides information about various types of ants living throughout our land, which differ from each other not only in color, size, but also in professions. And also indicates the huge role of ants in nature, very closely related to other living beings.The structure of the work allows you to trace the entire life of the ant family.

Conclusions: The ant is the most gifted insect. Even the man himself finds in him a rival. We build cities, so does the ant; we keep pets and he has them, in the form of aphids that give him sugar; we keep our flocks in the fence and he does the same with his aphid cows; we freed our slaves, and he continues to enjoy slavery.

The work consists of an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion and contains 16 pages of the main text, 13 photographs. The list of references includes 9 titles.

Page

I. Introduction 4

II. Main part.

1. Who are ants? 6

2. An anthill and its inhabitants. 8

3. Types of ants. eleven

4. Ant is a wildlife orderly. 17

III. Conclusion. 20

IV. Bibliography. 21

These amazing ants...

1. Introduction

“Having become acquainted with the life of ants, it is impossible

not experience the strongest surprise and confusion "

P.D.Uspensky

My name is Alexander Okhotnikov, I am a 4th grade student. I really like to study our planet, our surrounding world, to observe animals and insects, flowers and trees. When I was very young, my mother and I watched the nature around us every walk: behind the clouds that looked like horses, behind the flowers of unusual beauty, behind the bee - a hard worker, behind the bug that we met on the way ...

Now I myself can observe and learn something new. It is very interesting!!!

And now I want to tell one story that happened to me. During the summer holidays I visited my grandmother. Once, on a warm summer day, I went to the garden to pick ripe apricots. There were a lot of them, and they began to fall to the ground. I slowly collected them from the ground, when suddenly, unexpectedly for me, I saw a whole horde of ants. There were so many that it was impossible to count. They interested me so much that, forgetting about the apricots, I squatted down and began to examine them and watch them. They were small black ants, very mobile, nimble. When I looked closely, I noticed that each ant was busy with its own business: some of the ants, heading in one direction, dragged some caterpillars, bugs, insects on themselves, the other part, moving in the opposite direction, dragged lumps of earth on themselves, twigs, leaves. And they all made up endless streams of ants. Then it became interesting to me - where are they all running? And after walking a few steps behind them, I saw a domed heap of earth, twigs, leaves, blades of grass, with many passages and exits. It was an anthill - their house. Here, it turns out, where these workers are in a hurry! Watching the family of ants, I did not notice how time flew by. Every day I came to this place to see what has changed in the life of these amazing insects, what they are doing. So I had a great desire to learn everything about the life of ants: how they live, how they build their anthills and what is inside, what they eat, what types of ants exist and how they are useful for plants and humans. Therefore, I decided to take the topic of my research work - these amazing ants ... I believe that this topic is relevant in our time, since now a lot of ants and anthills are destroyed without thinking about the consequences. Although ants have brought and bring great benefits to nature and man. The ant is small, but the anthill is large, and the benefits brought by ants are great. Taking care of them is taking care of human well-being. It is necessary to learn how to protect and most effectively use some of our most reliable allies and helpers in nature.

Perhaps my research has no scientific value, but for myself I made a lot of discoveries.

I set myself the following goal:conduct an observation of the life of ants, collect the necessary information about these amazing insects from popular science literature, gain new knowledge about the structure of an anthill, find out the importance of ants for nature and humans.

The tasks that I set for myself:

1. Find out who the ants are: how they look, what is their body structure.

2. To study which anthills are built by ants, and what functions they perform in it.

3. Familiarize yourself with the various types of the ant family.

4. Analyze what benefits ants bring to plants and humans.

These amazing ants...

II. Main part

1. Who are ants?

This is the most numerous family of insects. Now there are approximately 6,000 species of ants, but many species have not yet been studied.

Ants are tiny creatures, usually less than two centimeters long. They can be different colors: black, brown, red, yellow and even striped. Ants, like other insects, have 6 legs. The head is mobile, with strongly developed gnawing jaws. On the head are eyes and whiskers. They have a thin waist - a stalk that divides the body, as it were, into 2 parts. The legs are attached to the first part, and the abdomen is the second, at the end of which there is a sting that sprays poison. This poison is not at all dangerous to humans, but deadly to insects. Having found their prey, some ants grab it by the paws, holding it motionless, while the rest bite it and inject deadly poison into its wounds. Having killed the victim, some begin to push the prey forward, while others clear the way for it.

Ants constantly communicate with each other. You can see ants with antennae touching each other. That's how they talk. The language of ants is the language of smells and gestures. By releasing special chemicals, they can raise the alarm or start a stampede, they also show the worker ants the direction to the source of food, mark the path to it with odorous marks, and scare alien ants away from the found food. By smell, they distinguish their own from others.

Ants have a very good memory. They are capable of learning and do it much faster than other insects. They distinguish well geometric figures. Ants are capable of the most complex collective actions. Together they build a domed nest with a rounded dome, use the same paths for many years. Together they drag the prey to the nest.

Ants are the smartest insects. They are able to study all their lives, and when they find themselves in an unexpected situation, they know how to make a reasonable decision. For example, they have an amazing plan of salvation from the water element. Some ants even react to a single drop of water that has fallen into the entrance of the anthill: they start running around the nest, declaring an alarm, and then run to other open entrances. Leaving a trail in the form of a smell, they show the rest of the ants the way to unblocked passages leading outside, and sometimes completely taking them out of the nest. And other ants, during a flood, rise from the bottom of the anthill to ground level, stick together in a large lump and keep afloat. This is how many ants survive. Over time, a living lump settles somewhere on the grass or on the bushes, and when the water subsides, the surviving ants return to the anthill.

How amazing are these ants!

2. Anthill and its inhabitants

Ants live in nests - anthills in an organized manner, in large communities - colonies. There are several thousand individuals in the colony. They build their nests, the height of which can reach up to a meter or more. From the earth, leaves, blades of grass, twigs, ants build chambers. The chambers are supported by columns and connected by tunnels. This is a real labyrinth. In order to warm the nest in the cold season, the ants cover it with twigs and leaves from the outside, and in the heat they dismantle this flooring.

At the top of the anthill they live and serveants are soldiers. They guard all the entrances and exits in the anthill. They have a very large head and very strong jaws, and they themselves are larger than ordinary ants. With their heads they close the entrance to the anthill. Returning worker ant, approaches closed entrance, knocks with his antennae on the head of a soldier, who, after this sign, lets the ant in. These are very strong ants, if enemies attack the anthill, they are the first to meet them and often drive them away in disgrace.

A little deeper - ants are workerswho are engaged in the construction and repair of the anthill: some pull needles, twigs, leaves out of it, others pull in exactly the same ones so that mold does not form in the anthill, andants are foragers- food gatherers. They get food for all the inhabitants of the nest. As soon as a signal is received from the scouts, they, according to their instructions, go to the source of food and deliver it to the anthill. They have a very good memory. They know their hunting area and the way home very well. Ants - foragers will always find their way home and will remember this path for another 4 days, even if the weather was bad and they did not go hunting.

Ants feed on various insects, fungi, plant seeds, sugars on flowers, tree sap, but the most delicious food is honeydew, which they take from aphids.

In the very center of the anthill livesant queen.She lays eggs. And they live around itants - nannies. Ants - nannies take care of the "queen". They monitor its purity, as well as protect eggs and larvae. They constantly transfer them to dry places with the right temperature. When the larvae grow up, the ants begin to give signals - the nannies rush to them, break the cocoons and release the young ants out. For some time they still live in the nest, and then they begin to leave it. On warm autumn days, especially after rains, whole clouds of winged young ants rise above the anthill. From a distance, it seems as if light smoke is rising from the ground. Usually this journey lasts very little, and the young ants return to the ground. The males die, and the young female breaks off her long shiny wings and sets off to look for a place for a new home. She herself digs a small mink and lays the first batch of testicles. When the larvae hatch from the testicles, she begins to feed them. In most ants, the female does not leave the nest until the end of her life, and she feeds the larvae with the secretions of the salivary glands. Finally, the first worker ants emerge from the pupae, and the female goes to a well-deserved rest. She settles in a deep chamber, in the middle of an anthill, and does only one thing - laying eggs. This is now the ant queen. The ant family grows and grows. The ant queen can live up to 20 years. The family of ants can be considered almost immortal, if you do not take into account external catastrophic factors.

But an anthill does not end in an anthill. He still has thousands of passages underground. These passages end in wide cavities. They are used as a dumping ground, in others young people develop, and in others they serve as a wintering place for ants, the temperature in which does not fall below +5 degrees in winter. And when severe frosts rage above, the ants are not afraid and not cold in their anthill.

That's what a multi-storey building - the fortress is built by ants!!!

3. Types of ants.

A lot of species of ants live all over the earth, and they come not only in different colors, sizes, but many types of ants have many professions - these are ants - carpenters, and leaf cutters, and reapers, and keepers of honey and many, many others.

ANT TURFlives in the sandy glades of the middle zone of the European part of Russia and in the gardens and forests of the south. It is a small (2-4 mm long) dark brown or black ant. It feeds on dead insects, carrion, seeds, and flower nectar. In the south, it often settles in houses.

FOREST ANT. Ants in the forests are one of the most useful insects. A family of one medium-sized anthill protects a forest on an area of ​​​​a quarter of a hectare, and of large anthills, which sometimes reach a height of two meters, on an area of ​​​​more than a hectare. The nesting domes of the red wood ants are a marvel of building technology among insects. The domes maintain constant humidity. The shape and size of the dome determine a certain temperature regime in the nest and therefore do not change for a long time, however, the nest material circulates all the time: ants raise needles and twigs from the depths of the nest. Therefore, in a healthy nest, there is never mold, but as soon as the ants leave it, the entire dome sprouts with fungal hyphae.

ANT HONEY achieved the greatest development of the ability to store honey. In special chambers of the nest, these ants have live "honey barrels" - workers with a huge swollen abdomen. Thus, these ants store food. Clinging to the ceiling with powerful jaws, peculiar tanks hang. The entire population of the anthill periodically comes here to take a sip of sweet syrup or give their drop to the "common cauldron". It happens that the guardian ant cannot withstand the weight of honey and falls on the hard floor. The abdomen bursts, the liquid spills and the ant dies. Worker ants lick up spilled honey and load it into other hanging cisterns.

ANT GARDEN YELLOWslightly inferior in number to the black garden ant, but it is more difficult to detect, since the pale yellow workers of this species with tiny eyes appear on the soil surface only during the emergence of winged individuals. They prey on insects living in the soil and breed root aphids.

ANT GARDEN BLACK.The mass flight of this ant takes place everywhere at the beginning of autumn. This is the most numerous ant in middle lane European part of Russia. At this time, wingless fertilized young females run around everywhere in search of a place to build a nest. It’s just hard to believe that females can live for about a year without eating, and take care of their young, dig the ground and even feed the larvae. In nature, they appear by mid-summer. The black garden ant is the most widespread species in the European part of Russia and in Siberia. He builds nests in the ground or rotten wood. These ants can be found in forests, meadows, gardens, fields and old wooden houses. In gardens, fields and vegetable gardens, this ant can be harmful, guarding and breeding aphids that harm cultivated plants.

ANT-TAILOR.Half of the body of adult larvae of these ants is occupied by huge spider glands. The web secreted by them serves as the threads with which the nest is sewn together. At the same time, some workers grab one leaf with their legs, and drag another with their jaws and thus can hold the leaves for a long time. When the leaves are pulled together, workers carrying larvae emerge from the nest. Touching the head of the larvae first to one, then to another leaf, they "sew" the leaves with cobwebs. The nests are almost spherical, up to half a meter in diameter. The family often lives in several nests, but there is only one “queen”. She lives no more than 12 years, and after her death, the whole nest dies. Tailor ants hunt and collect secretions of aphids and mealybugs only on trees and descend to the ground only to move from one tree to another.

ANT-LEAF CUTTER.If the path of these ants stretches to any tree, then after a while the tree remains without leaves. Ants cut pieces of leaves with their jaws and carry them to the nest. But leaf cutters do not eat leaves at all. The leaves brought to the nest are thoroughly chewed by the ants, mixed with their excrement and saliva, and the resulting mass is put into special large chambers. On these "beds" grow hyphae of the fungus. Leaf-cutting ants feed themselves and feed their larvae with fungal conidia. When leaving the nest, young females carry pieces of mycelium with them in order to grow mushrooms in a new place.

ANT-REAPER. Up to a dozen long trails depart from the nests. In a minute, more than a hundred workers leave the nest on the trail. At the end of the trail, the ants disperse and collect seeds, for which they often climb onto plants. In reaper nests, seeds are stored for a long time in deep underground chambers. In damp chambers, seeds germinate, and enzymes are released that convert starch into sugar. But as soon as the sprouts appear, the ants gnaw them. Then large workers grind the grain into the finest powder and, having moistened it with saliva, feed the larvae with it.

ANT THIEF. One of our smallest ants, settles next to the nests of large ants. Its workers are yellow, 1-2 mm long, with tiny eyes of only a few facets. Penetrating into the chambers of the nest, thieving ants drag eggs and small larvae of host ants that cannot penetrate their thin passages.

ANT-TREEDOT.This is the largest of European ants: its workers reach a length of 1.5 cm, and females - 2 cm. Carpenter borers make their nests in the wood of diseased or dead spruce, fir or, less often, pine trees, and hunt insects and collect honeydew in the crown trees. Sometimes nests in different trees are combined into colonies, and then roads, often underground, stretch from tree to tree. Woodpecker ants like to feast on woodpeckers, especially yellow ones, which sometimes break through huge hollows in order to get to the moves in the center of the trunk. Although carpenter ants do not damage healthy trees, they can cause harm, as they spoil already harvested wood with their moves.

ANT-AMAZON.This ant has no workers, only soldiers with large, sickle-shaped jaws. All work in the nests of these ants is performed by workers of other species, most often the brown forest ant. From time to time, at the entrance to the anthill of the Amazons, soldiers begin to fuss, bearing the name "signalmen". The whole nest quickly becomes excited, and now a powerful column of red-haired soldiers sets off on a campaign. The length of the column can be over 10 m. Having found the nest of the brown forest ant, the Amazons rush inside and begin to pull out the pupae and adult larvae. And now the column is already returning, and each ant carries a larva or pupa in its jaws. From them, ants will be bred in the nest, which will perform the same work as in the native nest.

ANT PHARAOH.These heat-loving ants live in the north, exclusively in houses. We also have many of them, especially in new houses with hollow floors and hidden steam heating batteries. Tiny (2-2.5 mm long) ants penetrate everywhere and climb into all products. Their presence in hospitals is especially unpleasant, as they can serve as carriers of the disease and, penetrating into operating rooms, violate sterility. Fighting pharaoh ants is very difficult.

ANT-PHAETONCHIKlives in the deserts and steppes of Asia and North Africa. These ants are fairly active predators, but also feed on berries, seeds, nectar, and aphid secretions. Phaeton ants are the best runners among insects. On the run, they lift up the abdomen. Some runners, in the nests, in addition to normal workers, have workers - "honey keepers" with an enlarged abdomen, through which a crop filled with a sugary liquid shines through.

4. Ant is a wildlife orderly.

And some ants raise butterflies when they are still in the caterpillar stage. Without them, the butterfly cannot make its life cycle. In the caterpillar stage, it feeds its owners with sugary secretions, ants, in turn, protect the butterfly from pests and give the butterfly the opportunity to emerge from the chrysalis into the world. And when this happens, she flies out of the ant dwelling, safe and sound.

Individual ants live in harmony with plants that provide them with shelter and food. In exchange, insects pollinate their hosts, disperse their seeds, and contribute to the extraction of nutrients. Ants that live in acacia thorns even destroy climbing plants that are harmful to it, which they come across on their way while guarding their tree. For such protection, the acacia treats its guards with sweet juice.

Many earth ants are useful soil formers, mixing, loosening and fertilizing the soil. They mix the soil, improve its composition. Laying passages, ants raise soil particles from the lower layers to the upper ones. This improves the access of air to the roots of plants. Red wood ants, tailor ants and some others fight plant pests. For example: Forest red ants protect the forest well from pests. Where the ant trail passes, growing mushrooms are always less affected by pests.

Reaper ants play a large positive role on natural pastures: after harvesting, ants begin to collect grain that has crumbled, lost during the harvest, so they spread the seeds of many plants and improve the soil.

Ants are active predators. They quickly switch to new plentiful food sources and thus can suppress pest outbreaks. They bring great benefits to plants: in one hour, ants destroy more than 100 thousand aphids and 2 thousand caterpillars, in one day one ant family destroys 1 kilogram of caterpillars, and in one month - 1 million caterpillars.

Where there are many anthills, there will never be outbreaks of mass reproduction of most harmful insects. Therefore, it is simply necessary to protect anthills.It is so long and difficult for ants to build them and so easy for some people to break it. Someone came up, just kicked the anthill or ripped it open with a stick to see how the ant people would start running and get angry. And what a grief for the ant people, because their whole country is dying. In one anthill lives several million ants - orderlies of the forest.

I will never break anthills and I will not allow other guys to do this, because now I know everything about the life of ants, and I know what hard workers and real orderlies of wildlife they are !!!

These amazing ants...

III. Conclusion.

I really enjoyed researching this topic. How much do these small and amazing creatures do! Nature revealed to me a lot of interesting things from the life of ants. After conducting research, observing the life of ants, and having studied additional literature, I found out who ants are, what are the living conditions for ants, what anthills are built of, and what relationships develop inside it, what functions each ant performs, and what types of ants exist on our planet. earth, as ants relate to various insects. Studied their role in nature. I found out that the ants that interested me so much in the garden belong to the family of garden black ants, as they fully correspond to the description of this species.

Ants are a vivid example of diligence and mutual assistance. They are interesting for their complex social behavior. One can only envy their intelligence! Ants know how to build and sew, find water in the desert and give signals to each other, navigate by the sun, but they just do not know how to live alone, like any person.

The importance of ants in nature and human life is enormous: they participate in the distribution of seeds; their role in soil formation is great - by making passages underground, ants contribute to the penetration of water and air into the soil, which are necessary for plants, and participate in the renewal of the forest. The forest is healthy if there are 4 anthills per hectare. If the forests were left without ants, then the damage caused by pests could be compared to a fire. Where ant fortresses rise, the forest is healthy and clean. If we do not save the small, ants and anthills from ruin, then in the future we may lose clean water, clean air and part of the cultural and historical environment. Therefore, ants and their anthills must be protected and protected!!!

These amazing ants...

IV. Bibliography

1. Babenko V. Family of ants. - ONYX 21st century, Moscow, 2003.

2. Dlussky G.M., Bukin A.P. Meet the ants! - M.: Agroproizdat, 1986.

3. Sergeev B. Ant close-up // Young naturalist, 1988.

encyclopedias

4. Everything about everything. Amazing Animals: Encyclopedia / Per. from English. N. Ledneva; Designed ser. I. Salnikova. - M.: AST: Astrel, 2001

5. Animals from amoeba to chimpanzee: encycl./B. Vasiliev, O. Krasnovskaya, V. Bologova and others - M., Machaon Publishing House, 2012

6. I know the world. Wildlife from A to Z: Encycl./ E.D. Vasilyeva, O.V. Voltsit, V.V. Ivanitsky and others - M.: AST: Astrel, 2007

Internet resources.

7.http://www. en.wikipedia.org

8. http://www.zoodrug.ru/topic1898.html

9. http://www.mir-nasekomyh.ru

The study was carried out for 6 months: from 12.06.2017 to 11.02. 2018. A colony of Camponotus vagus ants, 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 - an incubator (Appendix 10). After that, it was distributed in an acrylic formicarium.

The substrates were moistened 2 times a week, replaced once every two weeks. Feed the colony 1 time in 3 days. The diet of the control groups consisted of sugar syrup, food insects and fruit. Temperatures 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 the sun's rays.

In my formicarium, I made several observations and experiments.

In the process of observing ants, the difference in the structure and size of ants of various castes was determined: females, males, warriors and workers. Females, as noted in the literature, are much larger than the rest. And the warriors are much larger than the 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 the successful keeping of Camponotus vagus ants at home is the quality of the first individuals. Since ants have a breeding strategy, non-viable or slightly viable individuals are very often present in the population. 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 not be able 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 very important point, since ants are highly stressed and in inexperienced hands very often eat 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 family to the formicarium upon reaching at least 30 workers. If you transplant a failed colony, the probability of extinction is very high.

Camponotus vagus can be kept in various homemade formicaria: gypsum, gel, acrylic, wood 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 in which 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 assess the gastronomic preferences of this type of ants. In the classical sense, mealworms and fruit flies serve as protein food for ants. Insects can be harvested, in the summer and stored in the freezer, they are stored for a very long time, almost without losing their useful qualities. Carbohydrate feeds include sugar syrup, honey, fruits.

I offer a reminder that will be useful to those who have already purchased formicarium or are just about to do so.

The purpose of our research work was to study the structure, behavior of ants, lifestyle of the ant family of the species black wood borer ant (lat. Componotus vagus), in order to create favorable conditions for the life of ants outside the anthill.

In the course of the work, the biological features of the species Componotus vagus, 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 of black wood borer ant (lat.Componotus vagus) ants, which have an interesting feature - they are predators. After conducting observations, confirmation of this information was obtained.

In the course of this research work, it was found that it is possible to contain ants of the species Componotus vagus and influence their vital activity. We have established that in order to increase the size of the colony, it is necessary to feed the ants with protein food, fodder insects. Empirically, the most favorable conditions for keeping ants at home were determined. Formicarium must be kept in a dark place, at a temperature of +25°C to +28°C, away from drafts and direct sunlight.

The practical significance of the study lies in the preparation of recommendations for keeping ants in formicaria. Ant observations have been summarized in a small memo that will be useful to those who have already purchased formicarium or are just about to do so.

In my work, I studied the life of ants, their behavior in formicaria. Watching ants in a formicaria captivates, develops curiosity, and fosters a humane attitude towards the animal world. It does not require large financial investments. It also takes very little time to maintain. The life of this small civilization is filled with a series of exciting events that are hidden from our eyes in ordinary life. But thanks to formicaria, you will see:

• the process of development of an ant from an egg to a chrysalis, and as a result - the birth of small ants;
• ants nutrition in detail: ants not only eat themselves, but also share food with each other (just like birds feed newborn chicks);
• a macrocosm full of care and love: ants not only take care of eggs and pupae around the clock, but also clean and lick each other. The bactericidal properties of saliva protect their body from external bacteria;
• exciting hunting of ants - predators feeding on small insects. By placing an insect in the arena, you can become a witness of a real ant hunt for prey.

I am very attracted to this wonderful world ants. In the near future, I plan to acquire other interesting species of ants for study, such as leaf cutter ants, weaver ants, nomad ants.

For many years, scientists have been trying to find extraterrestrial life. However, very few people know that a much more numerous civilization than ours has been living and developing under our feet for thousands of years!

Bibliography

1. Babenko V. The family of ants. - ONYX 21st century, Moscow, 2003
2. Dlussky G.M., Bukin A.P. Meet the ants! - M.: Agroproizdat, 1986
3. Sergeev B. Ant close-up // Young naturalist, 1988
4. Zakharov A. A. Ant, family, colony, M .: Nauka, 1978
5. Biology: Encyclopedia / Ed. M.S. Gilyarov. - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2003.-864s.: ill., 30 l. col. ill.
6. Life of animals. In 7 volumes / Ch. ed. V.E. Sokolov. T.
7. Arthropods: trilobites, chelicerae, tracheo-breathers. Onychovores / Ed. M.S. Gilyarov, F.N. Pravdina.-2nd ed., Rev.-M.: Enlightenment, 1984.-463 p., ill., 32 sheets. ill 3.
8. New Illustrated Dictionary / Ed. V.I. Borodulina, A.P. Gorkina, A.A. Guseva, N.M. Landa and others - M.: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2005. - 912 p.: ill.
9. Grebennikov V.S. Secrets of the world of insects. - NOVOSIBIRSK BOOK PUBLISHING HOUSE, 1990.
10. Ants. [Electronic resource].
11. Reaper Ants. [Electronic resource].
12. Formicaria. [Electronic resource].
13. Photos various kinds ants and interesting features of their life. [Electronic resource].

Application

Annex 1

Rice. 1. Ant - wood borer

Annex 2

Rice. 2. Structure of an ant

Annex 3

Rice. 3. Nest of ants - woodworms

Appendix 4

Rice. 4. Ant development cycle

Appendix 5

Rice. 5. Ant family - wood borer

Appendix 6

Rice. 6. Gypsum formicary

Annex 7

Rice. 7. Wooden formicarium

Annex 8

Rice. 8. Queen

Appendix 9

Rice. 9. Test tube - incubator

Annex 10

Rice. 10. Arena

Annex 11

Memo to a Beginning Myrmkeeper (booklet)

You can buy formicaria on various sites. The ant farm will be accompanied by instructions for the care and maintenance of the anthill.

I compiled this memo based on my observations as an appendix to this instruction.

1) Formicarium is best placed in a dark place.

2) If it is hot at home and the temperature is above 27°C, then it is better to place the formicarium near the window and cover it with a tinted film.

3) If the room is colder than +16°C, it is better to buy a heated mat. Such rugs are sold on sites that offer ants and formicaria.

4) Before populating the formicaria ants, I recommend keeping the ant colony in a glass incubator, which maintains an optimal level of humidity. Relocate the ant colony to the formicarium upon reaching at least 30 workers.

5) The main food of ants is sugar syrup. To increase the colony, small insects should be added to the diet.

6) Nano-sponges are offered to humidify the air at the sites. Instead, you can make your own humidifier - a drinking bowl from a large syringe. It is necessary to cut a hole in it, put cotton wool or a cotton pad and tamp tightly. Pour water into the structure and place it vertically, fixing it with double-sided tape on the wall of the arena. If the height is not enough, then there is another, easier way. Take the test tube that had the ants in it, fill it with water and place the cotton wool so that it is halfway in the water. And if you have a very small arena, and none of these methods work for you, then place a cotton pad on the bottom of the arena and drip a little water on it every day.

Good luck!

Annex 12

Test " What do we know about ants?»

1. What is trophoallaxis?

a) food exchange

b) information exchange

c) ally identification

2. Ants from the detachment?

a) Hymenoptera

b) arthropods

c) Lepidoptera

3. Is this a facility 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 lifespan of an ant queen?

a) 45-60 days

c) 3-7 months

6. Who are foragers?

a) cook ants

b) protector ants

c) outcast ants

7. Science studying ants?

a) Myrmecology

b) Arachnology

Municipal budgetary educational institution

secondary school №6 in Novocherkassk

Municipal stage of the regional stage of the competition of research projects "Constellation"

Nomination: "Flora and fauna"

"Ants are familiar-strangers"

12 years old, 6th grade student

MBOU secondary school No. 6 of Novocherkassk

Head: Bityukova O.A.

biology teacher

MBOU secondary school No. 6 of Novocherkassk

Novocherkassk

2017

Table of contents:

annotation ………………………………………………………………...3-3

I Introduction ………………………………………………………………4-4

II . Ants - familiar-strangers ………………………………..4-13

1. Types of ants ………………………………………………………………………4-5

2. The device of the anthill ………………………………………………………….5-7

2.1. Dome anthills……………………………………………………………. 5-6

2.2. Underground anthills…………………………………………………………. 6-6

2.3. Wood anthills………………………………………………………….. 6-7

3. The structure of the ant ……………………………………………………......................7-8

3.1. External structure……………………………………………………………………………7-7

3.2.Nervous system and sense organs………………………………………………..7-7

3.3. Visual apparatus………………………………………………………………….7-8

3.4. Appointment of the antennae. 8-8

……………………..8-9

4.1. Formicarium …………………………………………………………………………. 8-8

4.2. Food for domestic ants……………………………………………………….8-9

4.3. Humidity and temperature for formicaria …………………………………………9-9

5. Practical part… …………………………………………………………….9-13

5.1. Experiments and Observations …………………………………………………... 9-12

5.3. Why do ants fly? .............................................. ......................................... 12-13

III. Conclusion …………………………………………………….......13-13

IV. Literature ………………………………………………………...13-13

annotation

Subject: " Ants are acquaintances-strangers.

Target:

Novelty research work is to study the life of an ant colony in the process of performing practical research

Theoretical and practical methods were used in the work: analysis and classification of material from various sources, conducting simple experiments

Practical value: The material presented in the work may be of interest to school students.

The theme of the work was not chosen by me by chance, I was very interested in the most famous social insects - ants.

I Introduction

I first became interested in ants in 4th grade. Then I watched them in the country, examined them under a magnifying glass, and it became interesting to me what kind of insects they were?

Target: study the features of the structure and behavior of ants

It turned out that ants are one of the most famous social insects. Among the vast detachment of Hymenoptera, there are no single ants at all. Families of ants consist of castes that are well distinguished in appearance, the members of which are assigned different functions. Most of the family is made up of working individuals, barren females, devoid of wings. They do everything necessary work in the nest: they build and clean it, get food, take care of the offspring. The caste of soldiers guarding the nest is made up of ants with large heads and powerful jaws. All members of the family are the offspring of the female founder. The life of ants is based on various ways communication and is controlled largely by instinct.

This work made it possible to study the vital activity of ants on the basis of observations and experiments.

II. Ants - familiar-strangers

1. Types of ants.

There are more than twelve thousand species of ants, but I will list the species that are more known to all of us and tell a little about each species.

Red forest ants .

Red wood ants are one of the most important protectors of forests from pests, as they consume a huge number of all kinds of insects.

.

Messor Structural - or reapers .

Reapers eat plant seeds. Nests in the soil, up to several meters deep, can serve as indicators of groundwater. Reaper ants store seeds in deep chambers.

Lasius Nigger - black garden ant

The well-known black garden ant consumes food, both seeds and other insects.

Faron ant - (house ant)

The pharaoh ant reaches a length of only two millimeters. His color is red, widely known as the "house ant" inhabiting human dwellings. Treat one of the most famous household pests.

2. The device of the anthill

Anthills are of different types: underground, domed, woody.

2.1. Dome anthills

The domed anthill is very complicated. The dome of the anthill, built of twigs and needles, can reach two meters in height and three meters in diameter. The surface of the dome is riddled with numerous entrances, which are opened and closed by ants depending on the time of day and the weather. The underground part of the nest, where the family hibernates, and the chambers with food supplies are located, is located under the dome and goes to a depth of up to a meter-meter and 50 centimeters

.

2.2. Underground anthills

An underground anthill is also very complicated, it can reach a depth of up to ten meters. It consists of numerous chambers. Each chamber is designed for a different purpose, some chambers serve as pantries for storing supplies, some as fields for growing mushrooms, and some even serve as nurseries, hospitals, and cemeteries! In the chamber, which is located the deepest of all, is the uterus. Ants bring her food every day so that she lays ant eggs. The eggs themselves do not remain lying next to the uterus itself, their special ant-educator takes them to the chamber - a nursery, where the ants themselves appear.

2.3. Wood anthills.

Ants may build their nests in old fallen trees, or under their bark. Near such anthills, you can often see sawdust hills.

As it turned out, there are many types of anthills. different sizes and forms, and yet, why do ants need an anthill? Firstly, ants need to maintain almost 100% humidity in their anthill - this is vital for ants, and secondly, ants need shelter and protection from enemies and bad weather conditions.

3. The structure of the ant

3.1 External structure

Ants are close relatives of bees and wasps. They also belong to the Hymenoptera order. Appearance. The differences relate mainly to the size and weight of the body. Some tropical ants are quite small - their weight is no more than 2 mg, and their body size is about 2 mm. But there are also quite large representatives of the family, in which the body of working individuals reaches a length of 3 cm, and a weight of 90 mg. At the same time, the structure of the body of all ants has the following common features: the presence of a strong chitinous shell to maintain the shape of the body and protect internal organs; the body is divided into 3 main segments: head, mesosome (chest) and abdomen; characteristic antennae and mandibles are located on the head; oral apparatus of licking-gnawing type; the presence of a petiole - a narrow waist between the chest and abdomen. This part of the body consists of 1-2 segments; only males and reproductive females have wings until the end of the mating season; the presence of a sting - a modified ovipositor - in working individuals. It is used to obtain food and protect the family. Of the three pairs of legs, the front ones are the strongest, it is with them that he does the main work. That's why it doesn't matter how many legs the ant has - the main thing is that the ant has "hands"

3.2. Nervous system and sense organs .

The nervous system of ants consists of a long ventral nerve chain and nerve ganglions. The complex behavior of insects is possible thanks to the supraoesophageal ganglion, which is the brain of an ant. Its size is quite large compared to body size, and the largest is in working individuals.

3.3Visual apparatus .

It is no less interesting to find out what the ants see. Like other insects, they have complex compound eyes, consisting of a large number lenses. Ants cannot distinguish the shape of an object well enough, since their vision has a low resolution, but they respond well to movement. In addition, at the top of the head are three small organs of vision, which are called simple eyes. They are able to distinguish the level of illumination and determine the plane of polarization of the light flux. There are also completely blind species that do not need vision, as they live in the thickness of the soil.

3.4 Appointment of the antennae.

Also on the head of ants is a universal sense organ - the antennae. They are able to recognize molecules of various chemicals, feel air currents, vibrations and receive signals when in contact with objects or other insects. By the way, touch, together with special gestures and the release of pheromones, make up the language of ants.They also help you taste. Ants can distinguish clean water from polluted, detect mineral impurities, dissolved sugar and acids.

4. How to observe the life of ants at home?

4.1. Formicarium

House ants can be kept in a simple glass tube until the colony is large enough to be relocated to a real anthill. In a glass test tube, it is necessary to place a cotton swab dipped in sweet water. The test tube must be closed with another cotton wool so that the ants do not escape. This type of housing may look unattractive, but it is still suitable for keeping small colonies with a maximum number of workers of 25 ants.

A purchased anthill or formicarium consists of a nest and an outer shell. The nest is usually made of plaster or concrete, equipped with tunnels covered with glass slate. The glass is covered with something to create darkness for the nest, but at any moment a person can look inside. The outer shell is an area where you can leave food for the ants, and here they will throw garbage.

4.2 Food for house ants

The type of food depends on the specific type of ant you want to keep. In general, ants feed on dead or even live insects and a mixture of water and sugar (or water and honey). Some species consume seeds, such as the harvester ant species Messor. It is also quite possible to feed insects with fruits, meat, pollen and syrup.

You can make sweet water for ants by mixing 7 parts water with 1 part sugar or honey. Pour the resulting liquid into the soda cap, put it on the public part of the anthill. Change the water every 2-3 days, don't let it run out.

The following insects are suitable for feeding ants: living or just dead fruit flies, small crickets, flies, moths, aphids. The proteins obtained from these insects play an important role in the life of your house ant column.

4.3 . Humidity and temperature for formicaria

The optimum air humidity depends on each specific type of ant. The temperature for formicaria should be 20-28 degrees during the day, and not lower than 15 degrees at night. The nest must be kept in the dark at all times.

5.Practical part.

5.1. Experiments and observations

№1.

In August, I came to the dacha to conduct my observation of the ants. I found an anthill with ants of the speciesLasiusNigger(Black garden ant). It was very hot that day, and the anthill was not located in the shade, so I made an artificial shade so that the ants would come out of the anthill. My first observation was the quick response of ants to the appearance of food near the anthill (I took apple slices and candy as food). One minute and thirty seconds after the appearance of the shadow, the first scout ant crawled out of the anthill. He quickly crawled in the direction of the apple. When the ant reached the apple, it signaled with pheromones to other ants that there was food. Literally ten seconds later, ten more ants crawled out of the anthill, and then twenty. They all went to the apple slices. Then the ants began to tear off pieces from the apple and take them to the anthill.

№2.

The next observation was how fast the ant could carry the marigold seeds over the obstacles into the anthill. An ant crawled to the seeds first - a soldier, he took the seed with his strong jaws and crawled in the direction of the anthill. For the purity of the experiment, I began to adjust obstacles in the ant's path in order to observe how he would overcome them. It turned out that the ant first climbs the obstacle with its hind legs, and then with its front ones. This is how the ant overcomes obstacles.

№3 . To test aggressiveness, I put the test ant in a special arena, and then placed the ground beetle, the main enemy in the natural environment, in the same place. And followed the nature and duration of reactions.

— The ant has a stranglehold, like a bulldog. He can be torn in two, but if he clings to the enemy, he will not open his jaws. This behavior occurs precisely in those individuals that perform the function of a guard. Hunter ants are close to the guards, they also have high aggressiveness. But hunters also show more exploratory activity, they more often enter into social contacts. And most importantly, aggression has limits, it usually does not reach a stranglehold, which means that hunters are not so risk averse.

№4. Observation of the orientation of ants.

I took an ant from the path leading to the anthill and planted it at a distance of 2 meters from this path on the ground. The ant wandered for a long time and chaotically for 5 minutes until he came across another path. On it, he immediately went to the anthill.

I ran a stick across the ant path, erased the top layer of the earth.

Ants helplessly began to rush back and forth, not knowing where to go. Traffic on this section of the ant trail was disrupted.

Then, in the ant path, the top layer of the earth was broken in two places at once.

The ants were, as it were, imprisoned, they could not find their way to the anthill.

Without disturbing the surface layer of the earth, lightly touched the ant path with his fingers for a few seconds.

Even from such a touch, confusion of the ants and disturbance of movement was observed, apparently from the smell of the fingers, which was transferred to the soil upon contact.

Ants navigate by smell, using special substances - pheromones, the smell of which prevents them from getting lost and going astray. But if he goes far from home and comes to another anthill, most likely he will not be accepted into his family, since him "foreign smell". He may die. This is evidenced by the results of the following experiment.

№5. Do ants recognize their own?

Let's take an ant and put it in another anthill.

A) An alien ant will immediately be attacked by the hosts.

B) If the ants do not attack, then this ant is from their family.

Conclusion. Ants distinguish the inhabitants of their anthill from aliens of the same species. Anthills are a family, community, community, ecosystem (this, of course, is a kind of human life structure).

5.3 Why do ants fly?

In the summer, we pay attention to strange flying ants, the invasion of which occurs annually, at about the same period. Ants begin to fly only in order to make "nuptial years". Young male and female ants leave their homes to mate.

Fully mating years, as a rule, ends with the fertilization of females and the mass death of males. Having descended to the ground, all the females begin to look for a suitable place. When a place is found, the female builds a chamber in the ground and lays her eggs there. This is how a new colony is formed.

Mid-October 2017 after cool weather, the air temperature rose abnormally for several days. On my own suburban area under the sea buckthorn I watched mass gathering ants, among which most individuals had wings. What caused insects to appear on the surface? I began to look for the answer to the question .... It turned out that due to the abnormally warm and humid weather, these insects can also fly out in the fall. This is how their body works at a certain temperature regime.

III. Conclusion

At the beginning of my research work, I set a goal - to learn about the most famous insects - ants.

In the course of work, I studied: the types of ants and their structure, the composition of the ant family, the structure of the anthill. I learned that the life and behavior of ants can be observed at home.

In the summer, I carried out simple experiments. The studies carried out made it possible to understand that instincts predominate in the complex behavior of these social insects.

I believe that in the course of the work it was possible to achieve the set goal. I plan to continue observing these amazing insects not only in nature, but also in formicaria.

IV. Literature

1.Internet resources: www.4 ants. en

2.Internet resources: www. wikipedia. com

3.Internet resources: www. report- referat. en

4. Encyclopedia of knowledge "Insects" R O S M E N 2013

5. Big Encyclopedia student "Eksmo" 2005