An Ant On A Flower Of Verbena Paniculata. Royalty-Free Stock Photo

An ant on a flower of verbena paniculata. Ants lat. Formicidae - a family of insects from the superfamily Formicidae, order Hymenoptera. They are social insects, forming 3 castes: females, males and workers. Females and males are winged, while workers are wingless. Ants live in families in nests called anthills, which are arranged in the soil, wood, under stones; some build anthills of small plant particles, and so on. There are parasitic species that live in the nests of other ants, `slave-owning` ants that contain `slave` ants of other species in their nests. A number of species have adapted to human habitation. Some species are valued for regulating the number of insect pests, while others may be considered pests. They feed mainly on the SAP of plants, aphids and other sucking insects, while the larvae feed mainly on insects. They are often found on the flowers of verbena - a shrub plant that is common for decorating homesteads.