Ants ANTS Ant, common name for members of a family of social insects.
All ants are social, which means they live in organized colonies.
True ants are to be distinguished from the so-called white ants, or termites, constituting a separate order . In most ant species, males remain winged throughout life, and females are winged until after mating. Certain wingless females, called workers, are usually infertile. The fertilized female becomes the queen of the colony, with the main function of laying eggs. The males die after mating, and the workers gather food, care for the young, and defend the colony.