Giant Ant

Both worker and warrior ants will fight. If a warrior ant manages to bite, it will also attempt to sting. The queen ant neither moves nor attacks. If she is killed, the remaining ants become confused for six minutes, then scramble from the nest.

 A giant ant colony makes its nest underground in a series of rooms and passages. Mounds of dirt and twigs mark the entrances. The passages may reach a depth of 16 feet, and the entire nest may be spread out over an area exceeding several thousand square yards. When encountered in the wilderness, there is a good chance that all of the ants are workers. Encountered in their colony, there is usually one warrior ant for every five workers; a typical colony consists of 100-200 workers, 20-40 warriors, and a single queen. The warriors are responsible for guarding the queen and defending the nest. All other duties are divided among the workers. Some gather food, some clean the nest, some attend to the developing larvae. Others suck nectar from flowers and produce honey. Storage ants, a special type of worker, swallow the honey until they are too fat to move or work. In times of scarce food, the storage ants expel the honey from their mouths to feed the rest of the colony. The queen has no responsibilities other than to lay thousands of eggs per week. Her chamber also contains the colony's treasure, usually shiny jewels the workers collect on hunting expeditions. Nurse ants care for the young in an egg chamber; the larvae hatch and develop into adults in just a few weeks. From 5-50 workers and 5 warriors guard the nursery chamber.

Giant ants prefer to eat seeds and grasses, but they will also eat meat if given the opportunity. Neither giant ants nor their eggs have any commercial value, though some gourmets enjoy their honey. In a pinch, giant ants are a good source of protein.