Over 8,000 species of ants have been formally described. Scientists estimate there may be as many as 20,000 species (thus, more species of ants than birds).

All ants belong to the family Formicidae in the insect order Hymenoptera (which includes ants, bees, and wasps). Ants can be separated form other insects by a combination of features. All ants are social; their societies consist of one or more queens and sterile female workers who cooperate in the care of the next generation. Immature ants are nearly immobile and depend upon workers to provide food and protection. In some species, worker ants can be divided into larger (major) and smaller (minor) workers (figure 12). Males die shortly after mating with the queen. Other insects are social (for example, termites, some bees, and some wasps), but ants differ from these groups by having both elbowed antennae (figure B) and a constriction with swelling(s) in the first few abdominal segments (figure 1 and 2).

Ants often modify their local habitat in their favor. As you travel the plains of western Kansas, conical, gravel-covered mounds of one species of harvester ant, Pogonomymex occidentalis, are a common sight. Does the density of mounds appear higher near roadways and railroad beds than in areas less disturbed by humans? Perhaps limited rainfall concentrates near these disturbances providing softer soil for queens to establish new colonies. Food, such as plant seeds, may collect near these areas. Maybe the differences in density are an illusion. Perhaps an astute reader will settle this question. There are many such questions awaiting answers regarding ants and their biology.

Several species construct mounds in Kansas (Formica subsericea, Formica montana, and Formica planipilis are examples). Mounds were originally a means of disposing of excavated soil. Some ant species now modify mounds to assist in temperature regulation. A mound collects more radiant energy than a flat area of the same size, particularly in early morning and late afternoon. Some mounds are riddled with chambers throughout which the developing young are moved to assure optimum temperatures for their development. Under conditions of extreme heat, cold, or drought, most ants retreat deep into the soil where more moderate temperature and humidity persists.

Readers will note that scientific names are used throughout this publication as most species of ants lack common names. See also "Scientific Names, Common Names" KSN Vol. 37, No. 1, Oct. 1990.

From 1977 through 1981, I attempted to document the distribution of ants in Kansas. Members of the State Biological Survey of Kansas provided valuable assistance. All 105 counties were visited to collect ants. Results of this study were published separately for research entomologists (DuBois, 1985; DuBois and Danoff-Burg, in prep.; DuBois, in prep.). This publication is intended to aid teachers and students who encounter ants in Kansas. Those wishing additional details should consult the above references, or contact me directly.

The following list summarizes those species which have been confirmed within the boundaries of the state of Kansas. Those marked with an asterisk (*) were not personally collected, but valid records exist in various museums. Those marked with an (I) are introduced tropical species.