Q: How many ants are in a colony?
A: Worldwide, ant colonies vary considerably in size. Some more primitive species of the insects live in colonies of just 10 members, while African army ants form colonies of as many as 10 million, according to Dani Ducharme, spokeswoman for the Bohart Museum of Entomology at the University of California, Davis.
“Typically, in this area you would see colonies of several hundred – around 500,” said Ducharme, who consulted with university entomologist Dr. Phil Ward on the topic.
But counting colonies is relative in California, which is a home of the Argentine ant. The small, black ants are highly visible in many areas of the state, often because they are common household invaders, said Ducharme.
“With the Argentine ants, it’s all sort of one big colony,’ said Ducharme. “They don’t consider one another enemies, so they mingle more than most ants.”
For more information on ants and other insects, visit UC Davis‚ entomology page at http://entomology.ucdavis.edu.
– By Melania Zaharopoulos Staff Writer
