{"id":2122,"date":"2021-09-27T21:19:30","date_gmt":"2021-09-27T13:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2122"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:16:05","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:16:05","slug":"are-ants-bugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Ants Bugs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>No, ants are not bugs. Entomologists reserve the term bugs to describe members of the order Hemiptera. Ants are Hymenopterans and do not belong to that order.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll learn more about why ants are not bugs as we look into the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>What are bugs?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Characteristics of bugs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why ants are not bugs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll also touch on the difference between bugs and insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"are ants bugs\" class=\"wp-image-3226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/myriams-fotos-1627417\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1486479\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Myriams-Fotos<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1486479\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#What_Are_Bugs\" title=\"What Are Bugs?\">What Are Bugs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Characteristics_of_Bugs\" title=\"Characteristics of Bugs\">Characteristics of Bugs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Mouthparts\" title=\"Mouthparts\">Mouthparts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Wings\" title=\"Wings\">Wings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Life_Cycle\" title=\"Life Cycle\">Life Cycle<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Why_are_Ants_not_Bugs\" title=\"Why are Ants not Bugs?\">Why are Ants not Bugs?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Related_Questions\" title=\"Related Questions\">Related Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#What_is_the_Difference_Between_Bugs_and_Insects\" title=\"What is the Difference Between Bugs and Insects?\">What is the Difference Between Bugs and Insects?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-bugs\/#Summary_Are_Ants_Bugs\" title=\"Summary: Are Ants Bugs?\">Summary: Are Ants Bugs?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Bugs\"><\/span>What Are Bugs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bugs, otherwise called, true bugs are insects under the <strong>order Hemiptera<\/strong>. [<a href=\"https:\/\/askabiologist.asu.edu\/explore\/true-bugs\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askabiologist.asu.edu\/explore\/true-bugs\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This order is comprised of around 80,000 species and includes the following insects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Bed bugs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cicadas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Planthoppers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leafhoppers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shield bugs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aphids<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are not to be confused with fake bugs such as ladybugs or June bugs. These fake bugs carry the word bug in their common names but aren\u2019t actually from the order Hemiptera.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Characteristics_of_Bugs\"><\/span>Characteristics of Bugs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-3-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-3-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-3-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-3-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-3.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/mirey2222-20742269\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=6602405\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Michael Reichelt<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=6602405\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hemipterans or bugs are classified through the following characteristics:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mouthparts\"><\/span>Mouthparts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bugs have features of insects, but what differentiates them are their mouthparts. These mouthparts are shaped like <strong>elongated beaks<\/strong> and are called a proboscis. They&#8217;re used to pierce and suck nutrients from plants and other small animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wings\"><\/span>Wings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The name Hemiptera means half-winged. This refers to the fact that bugs have unique wings. Their wings are <strong>leathery and hard on the base<\/strong> while membranous towards the tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Life_Cycle\"><\/span>Life Cycle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike most insects, bugs undergo <strong>incomplete metamorphosis<\/strong>. This is a type of life cycle that skips the pupal stage and consists of nymphs instead of larvae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These nymphs are immature insects that resemble adults. They do not undergo physical change as they develop to maturity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_Ants_not_Bugs\"><\/span>Why are Ants not Bugs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As insects, ants, and bugs share a few characteristics. They, for example, have exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and six legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, ants are not bugs because they don\u2019t possess Hemipteran characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ants Don\u2019t Have Piercing-Sucking Mouthparts: <\/strong>Ants don\u2019t suck. They have chewing mouthparts called mandibles which they use to crush, cut, and chew. See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-teeth\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2456\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ant mandibles<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ants Have Fully Membranous Wings: <\/strong>Ant wings don\u2019t have a leathery base. They are thin and fully transparent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Ants Undergo Complete Metamorphosis: <\/strong>Ant larvae don\u2019t look like adults. They have to turn into pupae and molt a number of times in order for their adult form to emerge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, ants also have <strong>narrow waists<\/strong>. This is one of the key characteristics that classify ants under the order called Hymenoptera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Questions\"><\/span>Related Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-2-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-2-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-2-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/are-ants-bugs-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/franc-comtois-8092567\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3425401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Andr\u00e9 SAAD<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3425401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">P<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3425401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">i<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3425401\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">xabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_Difference_Between_Bugs_and_Insects\"><\/span>What is the Difference Between Bugs and Insects?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>People often use the term bugs to refer to all insects. But they don\u2019t actually have the same meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bugs and insects fall into <strong>different categories<\/strong>. Bugs refer to an order, while insects refer to a whole class under the kingdom Animalia. In terms of taxonomy, insects are a larger group compared to bugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, the order Hemiptera is a subgroup of the class Insecta. This means that <strong>bugs are also insects but not all insects are bugs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_Are_Ants_Bugs\"><\/span>Summary: Are Ants Bugs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the fact that the main protagonist in the animated film \u201cA Bug\u2019s Life\u201d is an ant, ants are actually not bugs. While both are insects, slight differences classify them into two different orders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bugs are from the order Hemiptera. They have a proboscis, half wings, and undergo incomplete metamorphosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants, on the other hand, are from the order Hymenoptera. They\u2019re classified through narrow waists, fully membranous wings, and complete metamorphosis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No, ants are not bugs. Entomologists reserve the term bugs to describe members of the order Hemiptera. Ants are Hymenopterans and do not belong to that order. In this article, we\u2019ll learn more about why ants are not bugs as we look into the following: We\u2019ll also touch on the difference between bugs and insects&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3757,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122\/revisions\/3757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}