{"id":3488,"date":"2023-07-11T18:10:43","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T10:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=3488"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:10:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:10:56","slug":"how-do-ants-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do Ants Eat? Can They Eat Solids?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Ants eat in different ways depending on their stage of the lifecycle. In general, ants eat through trophallaxis or mouth-to-mouth exchange of food. However, adult ants can\u2019t process the same food as larvae. Hence, adults and larvae use different steps and strategies to eat and digest food.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we&#8217;ll learn about these strategies and how ants eat as we discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>How adult ants eat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How ant larvae eat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\/2023\/07\/how-do-ants-eat-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"how do ants eat\" class=\"wp-image-3495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-do-ants-eat-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-do-ants-eat-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-do-ants-eat-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-do-ants-eat.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:LinepithemaHumile_1413.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Davefoc<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 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-do-ants-eat\/#How_Do_Adult_Ants_Eat\" title=\"How Do Adult Ants Eat?\">How Do Adult Ants Eat?<\/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-do-ants-eat\/#Trophallaxis\" title=\"Trophallaxis\">Trophallaxis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-eat\/#Processing_Solids\" title=\"Processing Solids\">Processing Solids<\/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\/how-do-ants-eat\/#Larval_Hemolymph_Feeding\" title=\"Larval Hemolymph Feeding\">Larval Hemolymph Feeding<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-eat\/#How_Do_Ant_Larvae_Eat\" title=\"How Do Ant Larvae Eat?\">How Do Ant Larvae Eat?<\/a><\/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\/how-do-ants-eat\/#Ant_Digestive_System\" title=\"Ant Digestive System\">Ant Digestive System<\/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\/how-do-ants-eat\/#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\/how-do-ants-eat\/#How_Do_Ants_Find_Food\" title=\"How Do Ants Find Food?\">How Do Ants Find Food?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-eat\/#What_Do_Ants_Eat\" title=\"What Do Ants Eat?\">What Do Ants Eat?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-eat\/#Summary_How_Do_Ants_Eat\" title=\"Summary: How Do Ants Eat?\">Summary: How Do Ants Eat?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Adult_Ants_Eat\"><\/span>How Do Adult Ants Eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Adult ants can\u2019t eat solids.<\/strong> Their waists are too narrow that only liquids and very small particles can pass through. Before food even gets to their waists, ants already filter food using their mouths. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Feeding_in_Ants\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Feeding_in_Ants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/wildaboutants.com\/2010\/06\/21\/question-1-ant-digestion\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/wildaboutants.com\/2010\/06\/21\/question-1-ant-digestion\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ant mouths contain a special pouch called the infrabuccal pocket. This pocket acts like a strainer and prevents large particles from passing through. <strong>Any food that&#8217;s too big is rejected and is eventually spit out in the form of pellets.<\/strong> In some species, these pellets are taken to larvae for consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the flip side, <strong>liquids and tiny particles pass through<\/strong>. They are then digested, or when foraging, stored in the crop. This crop is a special reservoir in the gaster and the upper part of the ant digestive system. It\u2019s called the social stomach and is where workers store food for later sharing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trophallaxis\"><\/span>Trophallaxis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ant trophallaxis\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wsw9Qg87L9s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Trophallaxis is a process of food exchange between members of a community. It involves the <strong>sharing of regurgitated food or other fluids through mouth-to-mouth transfer<\/strong>. It\u2019s a common strategy in eusocial insects like ants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, queens and adult ants that stay in the nest are fed through trophallaxis. When foragers get back home, they regurgitate some food from the crop and pass it on to other adult ants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Processing_Solids\"><\/span>Processing Solids<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though workers can\u2019t eat solids, they still collect and take them to the nest anyway. That&#8217;s because<strong> larvae can process solid food<\/strong> for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Workers feed solid food to larvae for processing. The larvae chew up, swallow and <strong>predigest the solids with enzymes<\/strong>. They then regurgitate some of the food back as a liquid that adults can partake in and distribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In one species of big-headed ants, the larvae don\u2019t have to swallow the solid food to process it. Workers just place the food on a special groove on their bellies. The larvae then spit out enzymes onto the food to dissolve it. After a while, the workers come back to pick up and feed on the resulting slime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Larval_Hemolymph_Feeding\"><\/span>Larval Hemolymph Feeding<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some ant species are incapable of trophallaxis. Adults of these ants have a unique method of eating called larval hemolymph feeding. This is a method, wherein the larvae themselves serve as a food source. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Larval_Hemolymph_Feeding\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.antwiki.org\/wiki\/Larval_Hemolymph_Feeding\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Adult ants feed on drops of hemolymph from special structures on the larval body.<\/strong> Some ants also create punctures in the larval skin to suck out hemolymph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the brutal method of feeding, the larvae typically survive without long-term harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ant_Larvae_Eat\"><\/span>How Do Ant Larvae Eat?<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\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"Do Ants Molt\" class=\"wp-image-2406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:CSIRO_ScienceImage_1651_Ant_species_Onychomyrmex_with_larvae.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CSIRO<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 3.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ant larvae rely on worker ants to feed them. <strong>They eat solids provided by workers and feed on liquids through trophallaxis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even the food that they regurgitate or process is fed back to them by worker ants. They patiently wait for the adults to get their fill, and until they distribute the food back to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ant_Digestive_System\"><\/span>Ant Digestive System<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants have a<strong> complete digestive system<\/strong>. They process food within a tube-like enclosure called the <strong>alimentary canal<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This alimentary canal runs through their bodies from the mouth to the anus. It consists of 3 functional regions, the foregut, midgut, and hindgut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Foregut: <\/strong>The foregut is otherwise known as the stomodeum. It&#8217;s used for storing, grinding, and transporting food to the next region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Midgut: <\/strong>The midgut is also called the mesenteron. This region is used for enzymatic digestion of food and absorption of nutrients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Hindgut:<\/strong> The hindgut or proctodaeum is the final part of the digestive system. This region is responsible for water absorption and the excretion of waste in the form of feces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\/2022\/05\/are-ants-attracted-to-honey-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"are ants attracted to honey\" class=\"wp-image-2566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/are-ants-attracted-to-honey-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/are-ants-attracted-to-honey-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/are-ants-attracted-to-honey-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/are-ants-attracted-to-honey.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ants_Find_Food\"><\/span>How Do Ants Find Food?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants find food by foraging. Ant colonies routinely send out worker ants to search and collect food from the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-find-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2115\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how ants find food<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Do_Ants_Eat\"><\/span>What Do Ants Eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants eat a wide variety of food including plants, animals, fungi, and dead or rotting material. These include seeds, nectar, sap, honeydew, and meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/what-do-ants-eat\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3091\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">what ants eat<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_How_Do_Ants_Eat\"><\/span>Summary: How Do Ants Eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, ants generally eat through trophallaxis or mouth-to-mouth transfer of food. As workers forage, they store liquid food in their social stomachs called the crop. When they get home, they regurgitate this food and distribute it to the members of the colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adult ants can\u2019t eat solids. Their waists are too small to permit the entry of solid food into their digestive system. To process these foods, they bring them to larvae for predigestion. The larvae chew these foods up, swallow them, and predigest them with enzymes. Once done, they regurgitate it back in liquid form for distribution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ants eat in different ways depending on their stage of the lifecycle. In general, ants eat through trophallaxis or mouth-to-mouth exchange of food. However, adult ants can\u2019t process the same food as larvae. Hence, adults and larvae use different steps and strategies to eat and digest food.&nbsp; In this article, we&#8217;ll learn about these strategies&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3495,"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\/3488"}],"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=3488"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3692,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3488\/revisions\/3692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}