Project:

Insect Formicidae

Students:

Milana Haripersaud, Isabelle Baksh, Adonis Cusu

School:

Christ the King H.S., Queens

Mentors:

Bob Mackey

Abstract:

Ants are arthropods, or invertebrate animals, of the family Formicidae. Formicidae are insects that most often live in monogyne colonies or supercolonies with one or more queens, called gynes. They are typically wingless, with the exception of fertile adults (gynes, or those with wings) who continue to support colony life through reproduction. While most of the ants produced by these gynes are wingless, infertile worker ants, some are not. Those who are born with wings either become queens themselves if they are female, or mate and die shortly after if they are males. Ants are also known for their widespreadness, having colonized six of the seven continents with their over 13,000 species worldwide. Species we will be discussing are common in the northeastern United States. These species are Tapinoma sessile, Tetramorium immigrans, and Camponotus pennsylvanicus, the common names of which are the odorous house ant, the immigrant pavement ant, and the black carpenter ant, respectively.

Poster:

Team samples: