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Description
Just something to celebrate World Ant Day, the day when we stop and show some appreciation (and maybe some love) for the (in)famous and highly social insects that we know all too well. I know what you're thinking, 'Dude, why would there be a day to celebrate ants for?! Ants are intrusive, icky, and disgusting! They're thieves and swarm over and even damage property!' While it's true that ants can be pests since they spoil food and invade our homes for food, and and some species are invasive species in some places in the world, but let's not forget that they are successful creatures in their own right. I assure you that they have some qualities worth noting:

1. Ants are related to bees and wasps and, like them, are eusocial (which is the highest level of organization of sociality, is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping generations within a colony of adults, and a division of labor into reproductive and non-reproductive groups), which means ants work, fight, eat, and live as one. and belong to the order, Hymenoptera.
2. Ants form their own family, which is called Formicidae.
3. Ants live all over the world, except in Antarctica and a few islands.
4. Ants form societies that have division of labor, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems, all of which parallel with human societies and have long been an inspiration and subject of study.
5. Some species of ants, as huge swarms, can overpower prey that are much larger than themselves. Ants are even stronger enough to carry up to twenty times their own body weight.
6. Most ants are generalist predators, scavengers, and/or indirect herbivores.
7. When foraging, ants can travel distances of up to 200 meters (700 ft) from their nest, and the scent trails allow them to find their way back home, even in the dark.
8. Ants are used either in food, medical remedies, and/or rites in some cultures. Some species are even in their role as biological pest control agents and some are even kept as pets or for science research.
9. Ant colonies are led (and ruled) by a queen, which is the only one to lay eggs (with the colony possibly being her children).
10. Some ants can spray chemicals as defense.
11. Some ant species in South America are the reason why the skin of poison dart frogs are highly (and extremely) poisonous, since those frogs eat those kind of ants.
12. Ants are important for the ecosystem as both predators (to keep populations of certain insect species in check) and prey (which they are food for plenty of animals).

Whether you love them or hate them, they're just animals trying to survive and thrive (and they can be very good at it, if not caught by a predator). So, why not just show some appreciation and respect for them for the highly social insects they are, maybe just for once? Anyway, Happy World Ant Day, everyone (from this antsy gang gathered here).

Description
Just something to celebrate World Ant Day, the day when we stop and show some appreciation (and maybe some love) for the (in)famous and highly social insects that we know all too well. I know what you're thinking, 'Dude, why would there be a day to celebrate ants for?! Ants are intrusive, icky, and disgusting! They're thieves and swarm over and even damage property!' While it's true that ants can be pests since they spoil food and invade our homes for food, and and some species are invasive species in some places in the world, but let's not forget that they are successful creatures in their own right. I assure you that they have some qualities worth noting:

1. Ants are related to bees and wasps and, like them, are eusocial (which is the highest level of organization of sociality, is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping generations within a colony of adults, and a division of labor into reproductive and non-reproductive groups), which means ants work, fight, eat, and live as one. and belong to the order, Hymenoptera.
2. Ants form their own family, which is called Formicidae.
3. Ants live all over the world, except in Antarctica and a few islands.
4. Ants form societies that have division of labor, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems, all of which parallel with human societies and have long been an inspiration and subject of study.
5. Some species of ants, as huge swarms, can overpower prey that are much larger than themselves. Ants are even stronger enough to carry up to twenty times their own body weight.
6. Most ants are generalist predators, scavengers, and/or indirect herbivores.
7. When foraging, ants can travel distances of up to 200 meters (700 ft) from their nest, and the scent trails allow them to find their way back home, even in the dark.
8. Ants are used either in food, medical remedies, and/or rites in some cultures. Some species are even in their role as biological pest control agents and some are even kept as pets or for science research.
9. Ant colonies are led (and ruled) by a queen, which is the only one to lay eggs (with the colony possibly being her children).
10. Some ants can spray chemicals as defense.
11. Some ant species in South America are the reason why the skin of poison dart frogs are highly (and extremely) poisonous, since those frogs eat those kind of ants.
12. Ants are important for the ecosystem as both predators (to keep populations of certain insect species in check) and prey (which they are food for plenty of animals).

Whether you love them or hate them, they're just animals trying to survive and thrive (and they can be very good at it, if not caught by a predator). So, why not just show some appreciation and respect for them for the highly social insects they are, maybe just for once? Anyway, Happy World Ant Day, everyone (from this antsy gang gathered here).