Adapted from Scholastic's SuperScience Blue, May
Welcome to "Lifestyles
of the Strange and Shrimpy." These weird ants are real except
for one. Your job is to expose the imitation ant! How? Read the descriptions
carefully. Do any clash with what you know about insects?
Answer: The Leaping Ants
are the imposter ants! Why?
- DAIRY ANTS keep
herds of aphids, like farmers keep herds of cows. The ants "milk"
the aphids by stroking them with their antennae. That signals the aphids
to release a sweet treat called honeydew. The ants get a tasty meal
and the aphids get protection from predators.
- Tiny SHAMPOO ANTS
earn their living from the beauty business. These ants set up shop near
the home of some larger ants. When the big ants return from gathering
food, the little ants set to work. They clean and massage their clients
all over. After the pampering is done, the big ants pass some food to
- Gardening comes
naturally to LEAFCUTTER ANTS. But instead of vegetables, these ants
grow fungus to eat. They fertilize their garden by chewing up leaves
and dropping them into the fungus. Nutrients from the leafy mush help
the garden grow. The ants can carry pieces of leaf 10 times heavier
than they are. Each colony is so big that it can strip a tree bare in
- LEAPING ANTS catch
their food in midair. Eight legs give them extra bounce. These ants
begin hopping as babies. But when they mature into larvae, they lose
their springy step. Look for leaping ants in cold climates. The lower
the temperature, the quicker they jump.
- Building a home
is a big job. So WEAVER ANTS use teamwork. First, they have to pull
two leaves together. If the leaves are far apart, the ants line up and
form a chain. Ants at both ends grab a leaf, and the group pulls the
leaves close. Other ants then use sticky silk thread made by
ant larvae to "sew" the leaves together. By adding
more and more leaves, the ants can make a house the size of a football.
- Insects have SIX
legs, not eight;
is the term for an insect in its early stage, not in its maturity;
- Bugs are more active
in warmer climates, not colder