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-ME + [AUNT BEA]-
-AGE 3-
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-[ants] are ‘eusocial insects’ of the family formicidae and, along with the related ‘wasps’ and ‘bees’, belong to the order “hymenoptera”-
“eusocial”
(greek for “good social behavior”)
(‘ants’ evolved from ‘wasp-like ancestors’ in the ‘cretaceous period’, about ’99 million years’ ago and ‘diversified’ after the rise of ‘flowering plants’)
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(more than ‘12,500’ of an estimated total of ‘22,000 species’ have been classified)
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(they are easily identified by their ‘elbowed antennae’ and the distinctive ‘node-like structure’ that forms their ‘slender waists’)
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(‘ants’ form ‘colonies’ that range in size from a ‘few dozen predatory individuals’ living in ‘small natural cavities’ to ‘highly organized colonies’ that may occupy ‘large territories’ and consist of ‘millions of individuals’)
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(arger ‘colonies’ consist mostly of ‘sterile’ + ‘wingless’ females forming castes of “workers”, “soldiers”, or other ‘specialized groups’)
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(nearly all ‘ant colonies’ also have some ‘fertile males’ called “drones” and 1 or more ‘fertile females’ called “queens”)
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(the ‘colonies’ are described as ‘super-organisms’ because the ‘ants’ appear to operate as a ‘unified entity’, collectively working together to support the ‘colony’)
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(‘ants’ have ‘colonized’ almost every ‘landmass’ on ‘earth’)
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(the only places lacking ‘indigenous ants’ are ‘antarctica’ and a few ‘remote’ or ‘inhospitable’ islands)
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(‘ants’ thrive in most ‘ecosystems’ and may form 15 – 25% of the ‘terrestrial animal biomass’)
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(their ‘success’ in so many ‘environments’ has been attributed to their ‘social organization’ and their ability to modify ‘habitats’, tap ‘resources’, and ‘defend themselves’)
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(their long ‘co-evolution’ with other ‘species’ has led to ‘mimetic’, ‘commensal’, ‘parasitic’, and ‘mutualistic’ relationships)
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(‘ant societies’ have ‘division of labor’, ”communication’ between ‘individuals”, and ‘an ability to solve ‘complex problems”)
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(these ‘parallels’ with ‘human societies’ have long been an ‘inspiration’ and ‘subject of study’)
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(many ‘human cultures’ make use of ‘ants’ in ‘cuisine’, ‘medication’, and ‘rituals’)
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(some ‘species’ are valued in their role as ‘biological pest control agents’)
(their ability to exploit ‘resources’ may bring ‘ants’ into conflict with ‘humans’, however, as they can ‘damage crops’ and ‘invade buildings’)
(some ‘species’, such as the ‘red imported fire ant’ (solenopsis iinvicta), are regarded as ‘invasive species’, establishing themselves in ‘areas’ where they have been introduced accidentally)
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*👨🔬🕵️♀️🙇♀️*SKETCHES*🙇♂️👩🔬🕵️♂️*
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💕💝💖💓🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤❤️💚💛🧡❣️💞💔💘❣️🧡💛💚❤️🖤💜🖤💙🖤💙🖤💗💖💝💘
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*🌈✨ *TABLE OF CONTENTS* ✨🌷*
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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥*we won the war* 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥