Ants are omnivorous social insects that consume meat as their primary source of protein. They forage for various nutrients, but protein is essential for the colony’s growth and survival. The “meat” they seek typically consists of dead or living insects, other arthropods, and scavenged animal remains, known as carrion.
The Role of Protein in Ant Diets
Protein supports the ant colony’s expansion and reproductive success. The largest demand comes from the developing brood, specifically the larvae, and the queen. Worker ants actively hunt or scavenge protein-rich items to produce a specialized liquid food used to nourish the next generation.
The colony queen requires a substantial supply of protein to support her high rate of egg production. Without sufficient intake, the queen’s reproductive capacity declines, limiting the colony’s ability to grow. Protein sources include a wide range of prey, such as small insects or the soft tissues of deceased vertebrates.
Some ant species are highly efficient predators, while others are primarily scavengers. All species must secure animal protein. A large colony can consume many insects over the course of a year to meet these high nutritional demands. The protein content of these foods is transformed into amino acids necessary for tissue growth in the developing larvae.
Dietary Diversity: Carbohydrates and Fats
While protein is necessary for growth, adult worker ants rely almost entirely on carbohydrates for daily energy. Tasks such as foraging, nest construction, and brood care require a fast, constant source of fuel, so they seek out sugary liquids to power these activities.
Common carbohydrate sources include the sugary secretions of sap-sucking insects, known as honeydew, plant nectar, and ripe fruit. Worker ants quickly convert these simple sugars into the energy needed to sustain their activity levels. This division of labor means workers seek energy, while the entire colony depends on them to bring back the protein for the young.
Fats are a third important component of the ant diet. These lipids are often stored for long-term energy reserves. Fats are particularly relevant for reproductive individuals, such as the queen and male alates, who need them to support the energy demands of reproduction and dispersal.
Specialized Feeding and Digestion
Consuming solid meat or insect parts presents a challenge for the adult worker ant. An ant’s digestive system includes a specialized filter, called the proventriculus, which separates the storage chamber from the digestive tract. This filter prevents solid food particles from passing into the midgut, where digestion occurs.
Due to this physical limitation, adult ants cannot swallow or digest the solid protein they collect. Instead, the solid food is typically carried back to the nest, where it is given to the larvae. The larvae, which lack the adult worker’s filtering mechanism, are able to process the solid protein by secreting digestive enzymes and breaking it down.
The larvae then regurgitate a protein-rich liquid for the adult workers to consume. Liquid food, whether carbohydrate or protein-rich, is stored in the social stomach, or crop. The stored liquid is then shared throughout the colony through trophallaxis, the mouth-to-mouth transfer of nutrients among nestmates.