Invertebrate Stereotypes - Ants - 1

Diligent, militant, thieving/bothersome

The militant ant. Ants, like many animals that form colonies or hives, are known for working together like an army. Some popular culture have the ants portray as military soldiers. Example: the ants from Antz. The thieving/bothersome ant. Ants are often portrayed stealing food from picnics, kitchens, etc. Examples can be found in many cartoons, like Tom and Jerry and Garfield and Friends.

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 out of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist.