Ants Are Social Organisms

All of the known species of ants live in colonies composed of dozens or more individual organisms who chose to forego personal reproduction in order to assist the queen ant in her reproductive goals. Even the rare parasitic ants and the slave-maker ants live in and around highly structured and complex societies, and are dependent upon social structures for their very survival.

Most of an individual ant's behaviors can only be understood by placing them in the context of the social colony. Simply put, ants frequently act in ways that are not particularly logical from the individual ant's point of view - instead; they act in ways that will benefit their colony, including many behaviors that are extremely dangerous.

Many ants physiology is only understood in the context of their caste and role in the colony. Major workers adapted for combat roles, also know as...