• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

• Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies (Order Hymenoptera)

• Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees (Suborder Apocrita)

• Ants, Bees, and Stinging Wasps (Infraorder Aculeata)

• Superfamily Formicoidea

• Ants (Family Formicidae)

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Family Formicidae comprises the ants, one of the most successful and ecologically dominant groups of insects in the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees and wasps. Ants are highly social insects that live in organized colonies ranging from a few individuals to millions of workers. A typical colony consists of one or more reproductive queens, sterile female workers, and, seasonally, winged males and queens that participate in mating flights. Ants are characterized by their elbowed antennae, strong mandibles, and a narrow waist formed by one or two distinct nodes between the thorax and abdomen. Found on every continent except Antarctica, they occupy nearly all terrestrial habitats, from tropical rainforests and deserts to grasslands and urban environments.