Story: Ants

Worker ants and pupae

Worker ants and pupae

These native worker ants are feeding pupae (the yellow tubes) in their underground nest. Many worker ants specialise in feeding the colony’s larvae and pupae. As long as enough food is being brought in, more larvae and pupae can be fed, and the colony can keep reproducing indefinitely.

Using this item

Natural Sciences Image Library of New Zealand
Reference: In0717Smt
Photograph by Peter E. Smith

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

John Early, 'Ants - Native species', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/12813/worker-ants-and-pupae (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by John Early, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 3 Aug 2015