ANTS 

Ants are highly social insects with separate castes for different jobs within their colonies.  Unlike wasps and bees, there are no solitary species.  Worker ants are wingless, sterile females, while the queens and males, who form mating swarms at certain times of the year, are winged.  After mating, males dies and females lose their wings.  Colonies, which may have one or more egg-laying queens, vary greatly in size and architecture. 

The common names for various groups, such as leaf-cutting, weaver, fungus-growing, harvester, , fire, bulldog, army and slave-making ants, reflect the diverse biology of these fascinating insects.  Although many species are pests, ants are a vital component of every terrestrial ecosystem.
 

Fire Ant