{"id":2589,"date":"2022-06-28T20:03:30","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T12:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2589"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:12:23","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:12:23","slug":"how-many-legs-do-ants-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Legs Do Ants Have?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>As insects, ants have a total of six legs connected to the thorax, the middle segment of the insect body exclusively adapted for locomotion. These legs are jointed, much like the ant body, and consist of several segments which allow for efficient mobility despite the presence of the exoskeleton.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll discuss if all ants have six legs and if they can grow their legs back. We\u2019ll also look into the anatomy of ant legs and their functions.<\/p>\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\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Do_All_Ants_Have_Six_Legs\" title=\"Do All Ants Have Six Legs?\">Do All Ants Have Six Legs?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Can_Ant_Legs_Grow_Back\" title=\"Can Ant Legs Grow Back?\">Can Ant Legs Grow Back?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Ant_Leg_Anatomy\" title=\"Ant Leg Anatomy\">Ant Leg Anatomy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#What_Are_Ant_Legs_For\" title=\"What Are Ant Legs For?\">What Are Ant Legs For?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Locomotion\" title=\"Locomotion\">Locomotion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Grooming\" title=\"Grooming\">Grooming<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Sense_and_Communication\" title=\"Sense and Communication\">Sense and Communication<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-many-legs-do-ants-have\/#Summary_How_Many_Legs_Do_Ants_Have\" title=\"Summary: How Many Legs Do Ants Have?\">Summary: How Many Legs Do Ants Have?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_All_Ants_Have_Six_Legs\"><\/span>Do All Ants Have Six Legs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the vast number of ant species, there are bound to be differences between each one. While some ants may differ in color or size however, there are certain characteristics that all ants possess. One of such characteristics is the fact that as insects, ants have three pairs or a total of six jointed legs connected to their thoraxes or mesosomas, the second segment of their tri-segmented bodies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These thoraxes are further divided into three segments, the prothorax, mesothorax, and metathorax each of which contains a pair of legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now while all adult ants should have six legs in total, there are of course those which may have been injured and lost some of their limbs. With all the fights ants engage in with predators and their competition, it isn\u2019t unlikely for some ants to have less than six legs. Which leads us to the next question, can they grow their legs back?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Ant_Legs_Grow_Back\"><\/span>Can Ant Legs Grow Back?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No,ants can\u2019t grow their legs back. While there are some insects such as cockroaches that are capable of restoring lost limbs or appendages through molting, ants, having undergone complete metamorphosis, are no longer capable of molting as adults. Therefore, any type of damage taken during their adult stage is permanent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ant_Leg_Anatomy\"><\/span>Ant Leg Anatomy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, ants, like other insects, have three pairs of jointed legs attached to different segments of the thorax. These legs are called the forelegs, midlegs, and hind legs depending on which segment they\u2019re attached to. The forelegs or frontal legs are connected to the prothorax, the midlegs to the mesothorax, and finally the hind legs to the metathorax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of these <a href=\"https:\/\/wiki.bugwood.org\/Insect_Biology\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wiki.bugwood.org\/Insect_Biology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legs are further divided into five parts<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Morphological_Terms\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Morphological_Terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, and tarsus<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Coxa. <\/strong>The coxa is the first segment of the ant leg. It articulates or is directly attached to the thorax and connects the rest of the legs to the ant body. The coxa of the foreleg is often termed the procoxa, mesocoxa for the midlegs, and finally metacoxa for the hind legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Trochanter. <\/strong>The next and second segment of the ant leg is the trochanter, a rather small segment between the coxa and the femur. In modern ants, the trochanter consists of one segment which in the past consisted of multiple smaller subsegments. Similar to coxa, the trochanters of the different legs are termed as pro, meso, and meta from front to back. Research has found that the trochanter in ants <a href=\"https:\/\/bio.kuleuven.be\/ento\/pdfs\/billen_actazool_2008_ant_legs.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">feature an exocrine gland<\/a> which produces lubricating substances to allow optimal maneuverability between the trochanter and coxa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Femur. <\/strong>The femur is the third segment of the ant leg. It\u2019s connected to the trochanter and is followed by the tibia. This segment is typically the thickest, stoutest, or the most muscular segment of the leg. Similar to the coxa, the femur of the foreleg is often termed the profemur, mesofemur for the midlegs, and finally metafemur for the hind legs. In ants, research has found that femur size varies between ants from different habitats. Those that live in simpler and open habitats tend to have longer femurs than those that live in complex locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tibia. <\/strong>The fourth segment of the ant leg is the tibia. It follows the femur and is then followed by the last segment called the tarsus. This segment contains tibial spurs which ants use to clean their antennae. Additionally, it also contains the subgenual organ, a major type of chordotonal organ which they use to detect substrate-borne vibrations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tarsus. <\/strong>The tarsus is the fight and last segment of the ant leg. It consists of five subsegments, the basitarsus, three unnamed middle segments, and the pretarsus. The basitarsus is the first subsegment which connects the rest of the tarsus to the tibia while the pretarsus is the final segment of the tarsus and the whole ant leg. This pretarsus contains a pair of pretarsal claws and hairs which ants use for climbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Ant_Legs_For\"><\/span>What Are Ant Legs For?<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\/08\/why-are-ants-considered-animals-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/why-are-ants-considered-animals-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/why-are-ants-considered-animals-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/why-are-ants-considered-animals-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/why-are-ants-considered-animals.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/kie-ker-2367988\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1330783\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">kie-ker<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1330783\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Locomotion\"><\/span>Locomotion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants use their legs primarily for locomotion, that is moving from one place to another. For instance, ants use their legs to walk or run. Technology has revealed that ants walk using an \u201calternating tripod system\u201d wherein they use three legs, the fore and hindleg of one side, and the midleg of the other, for each step.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To run or walk at a faster pace, they increase their stride length and the number of steps they take while mostly adopting a strategy called \u201cgrounded running\u201d in which all their legs, at any point of the run, don&#8217;t lose contact with the ground. Doing so provides them with better stability and therefore allows them to turn quickly, prevent unnecessary falls, and travel through rough terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, faster ants like the world\u2019s fastest Saharan Silver ants, are known to gallop and leave all their feet off the ground simultaneously when moving at higher speeds. So it\u2019s possible for their gait to vary based on speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aside from walking or running, <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-climb-walls\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2353\">ants also use t<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-climb-walls\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2353\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">h<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-climb-walls\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2353\">eir legs to climb walls<\/a>. They use a number of adaptations including&nbsp; pretarsal adhesive pads, hooked claws, and the dense hairs on the ends of their legs to support themselves vertically or upside down and climb a variety of surfaces including walls, ceilings, and even glass, plastic, or metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, some ants, particularly those with large, muscular, and strong limbs, may also <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-swim\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2346\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">use their legs to move around in water<\/a>. To swim, they use their front legs to propel themselves while their hindlegs serve as rudders or stabilizers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grooming\"><\/span>Grooming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, ants use the tibial spurs on their front legs to <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/are-ants-dirty\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2197\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">clean their antennae<\/a>. These spurs are claw-like structures which consist of different types of hair, all finely tuned to effectively remove dirt and pollen from their <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-antennae\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2432\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delicate and very important appendages<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a cleaning movement, ants use the coarse bristles of the spurs to remove the biggest particles. After that, they then use the finer hairs to remove smaller particles through adhesion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sense_and_Communication\"><\/span>Sense and Communication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, ants also <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-communicate\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2419\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">use their legs to sense and communicate<\/a>. Their tibias contain the subgenual organ which as mentioned, is a major type of chordotonal organ that <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2286\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detects substrate-borne vibrations<\/a>. These vibrations may include drumming or stridulatory signals which ants use to communicate alarm or mating signals, and to complement chemical communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_How_Many_Legs_Do_Ants_Have\"><\/span>Summary: How Many Legs Do Ants Have?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, ants have six legs attached to their thorax. These legs are called differently based on the segment of the thorax they\u2019re connected on. Legs connected to the prothorax are called the forelegs, midlegs for the mesothorax, and finally the hind legs to the metathorax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants use these legs for a variety of purposes, from the most obvious purpose of locomotion, that is walking, climbing, and swimming, to grooming, and even to sense and communicate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As insects, ants have a total of six legs connected to the thorax, the middle segment of the insect body exclusively adapted for locomotion. These legs are jointed, much like the ant body, and consist of several segments which allow for efficient mobility despite the presence of the exoskeleton. In this article, we&#8217;ll discuss if&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2590,"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\/2589"}],"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=2589"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3727,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2589\/revisions\/3727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}