Family Formicidae - Ants

hormigas (Spanish), fourmi (French)

from Latin formica ant(1)

Modern English ant is derived from Middle English ante, amte, amete, that from Old English aemete, aemette (1), (Wiktionary--ant). (An Archaic Modern English variant for ant is emmet.) The Old English word is, perhaps, a compound of ai-, or ā- off, away, plus *maetan, or *mait, to cut, engrave, etc. (In linguistics, the * indicates a hypothetical root, one not attested in the written record.) The original meaning was perhaps "cutter or biter off", referring the biting habits. An alternative interpretation is that it meant "cut in", referring to the indented shape of the insect (1). (This is the origin of both Greek entomos and Latin insectum, so it is a plausible origin for aemete.)

11 subfamilies, about 300 genera and just under 9,000 species worldwide; ca. 700 spp. in 74 genera north of Mexico(2)

1-25 mm

   

worldwide and throughout North America

various, but mostly underground or in dead wood

depends on species; many are predators or scavengers, some "milk" aphids and other insects for sweet secretions, others cultivate fungus on cut leaves or collect seeds

All living ant species are eusocial (='truly social')