# Glossary of ant terms

This is a glossary of terms used in the descriptions of ants.
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z
* See also
* References
* External links

## A
### alate

    winged reproductive male or female ant

## B
### Berlese funnel

    see also Winkler extraction device used to extract ants and other living organism from soil and leaf-litter samples; a sample is placed on a screen with a funnel beneath, and a heat source above; the drying forces the animals downwards, where they fall into a collecting jar, usually filled with alcohol

### bivouac

    in army and driver ants, nest formed by the bodies of the ants themselves to protect the queen and larvae

## D
### dulosis

    see slave-making

### dichthadiiform

    wingless queen with enlarged gaster, having a broadened head, very small eyes and worker-like alitrunk

### domatium

    see also myrmecodomatium in plants, tiny chamber produced by plants to house arthropods

## E
### epigaeic

    see also hypogaeic living or foraging above the ground

### ergate

    a member of the non-reproductive, laboring caste.

### ergatogyne

    see also ergatoid denotes any intercaste female morphologically intermediate between workers and (winged) queens, not restricted to the reproductive caste; formerly often used interchangeably to refer to ergatoid queens

### ergatoid

    see also ergatogyne a wingless (dealate) reproductive adult ant, anatomically intermediate in form between workers and winged queens or males

## F
### fungivorous

    feeding on fungi

## G
### gamergate

    a mated, egg-laying, female worker in species lacking a queen

### granivorous

    seed herbivory, feeding on grain

### gyne

    a member of the female reproductive caste

## H
### haplometrosis

    see also pleometrosis colony founding by a single queen

### hypogaeic

    see also epigaeic subterranean, living below the ground, or at least beneath the leaf litter, stones or dead bark

## M
### mermithergate

    see also mermithogyne "parasitogenic" phenotype of worker ants, caused by mermithid nematodes

### mermithogyne

    see also mermithergate "parasitogenic" phenotype of gynes, caused by mermithid nematodes

### monandry

    see also polyandry queen mating with a single male

### monodomy

    see also polydomy colony housing arrangement in a single nest

### monogyny

    see also polygyny, primary monogyny, secondary monogyny nest arrangement containing a single queen

### multicoloniality

    see also unicoloniality nest arrangement of a population of ants consisting of multiple independent colonies (monodomous or polydomous)

### myrmecochory

    seed dispersal by ants

### myrmecodomatium

    see also domatium domatium housed by ants

### myrmecologist

    a student of ants

### myrmecology

    the study of ants

### myrmecophily

    association of various organisms with ants

### myrmecophyte

    plant that lives in a mutualistic association with ants

## N
### nanitic

    a worker of the first generation, usually smaller in size than subsequent generations

## O
### oligogyny

    nest arrangement with multiple queens, defined by worker tolerance towards all queens in the colony and antagonism among the queens

## P
### pheromone trail

    see also domatium trail of chemical compounds secreted by ants to guide nestmates to a target (usually food)

### pilosity

    quality of being covered with hair

### pleometrosis

    see also haplometrosis colony founding by multiple queens

### plerergate

    see replete

### polyandry

    see also monandry queen mating with multiple males

### polydomy

    see also monodomy colony arrangement housed in multiple separate nests

### polyethism

    division of labor, the development of different roles

### polygyny

    see also monogyny, primary polygyny, secondary polygyny nest arrangement containing multiple queens

### polymorphism

    in social insects, having more than one caste within the same sex

### primary monogyny

    see also monogyny single queen founding a colony (haplometrosis), with no additional queens incorporated into the colony

### primary polygyny

    see also polygyny colony founding by multiple queens (pleometrosis), with more than one queen surviving

## Q
### queen

    see gyne

## R
### replete

    worker ant that functions as a living larder, having an enlarged abdomen filled with liquid food

### secondary monogyny

    see also monogyny colony founding by multiple queens (pleometrosis), a single queen survive

## S
### secondary polygyny

    see also polygyny colony founding by a single queen (haplometrosis), with additional queens incorporated into the colony at a later stage, usually by adoption or fusion with other colonies

### slave-making

    the capture of brood of other ant species that is then reared as slaves

## T
### tandem running

    see also pheromone trail recruitment method used by some species of ants, where one ant leads a single, closely following nestmate to a target (usually food)

### trail pheromone

    see pheromone trail

### trophallaxis

    transfer of liquid food among family members or guest organisms

### trophic egg

    non-viable egg laid by the queen to be used as a source of nutrition

### trophobiosis

    mutualistic relationships between ants and other insects

## U
### unicoloniality

    see also multicoloniality a population of ants inhabiting a single large polydomous colony

## W
### Winkler extraction

    see also Berlese funnel device used to extract ants and other living organism from soil and leaf-litter samples; a sample is placed inside an inner bag constructed from cloth mesh, which is suspended in a second bag containing a funnel leading to a collecting jar, usually filled with alcohol; the device is hung up in the air and passively extracts escaping animals