Class: Insecta (Insect) Species: about 14,000 Body length: 0.08
to 1.5 inches (2 to 40 millimeters) Life span: highly variable;
queens of some species can live up to 15 years Incubation:
varies by species Number of eggs laid: hundreds to millions over
the life of a queen, depending on species Age at maturity: 1 or
more weeks Conservation status: stable where habitats remain
secure The ant family's scientific name, Formicidae, comes from
the Latin name for ant, formica. If you combine the weight of
all the ants on Earth, the total would be about the same as the
weight of all the humans on Earth! An ant can lift 20 times its
body weight using its jaws. If we humans were as strong as an
ant, we could lift three cars up on our head! Incredible
engineers, ants support their tunnels with tiny sticks, pieces
of grass, and leaves. Some ants control the temperature in their
nest chambers by stacking leaves near the entrances. If it gets
too warm, they remove some of the leaves. Range: all continents
except Antarctica