Calculation: this is how many ants there are on Earth

The world population is expected to reach eight billion in the coming months. If this figure is compared with the number of ants on the planet, it is not very impressive. According to Reuters, new research estimates there are 2.5 million ants per person on Earth.

Hardworking and social insects have thrived beautifully since the age of the dinosaurs. The oldest ant fossil has been dated to around 100 million years ago.

“Ants clearly play a central role in almost all ecosystems on Earth,” says veteran entomologist Patrick Schultheiss, who lives at both the University of Würzburg in Germany and the University of Hong Kong.

12,000 known species

He played a leading role in the new research that was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Ants are very important for the nutrient cycle, the breakdown of organic matter, the dispersion of plant seeds, as well as for soil fertility,” says the new research report.

It is also claimed that there are more than 12,000 known species and that the ant is an extra diverse group of insects with different functions.

They are usually black, brown or red. They vary in size from one millimeter up to about three centimeters. They grow best in soil, leaves, or plants that have begun to rot. Sometimes they even find their way into people’s kitchens.

Specialized groups

The ant, which is closely related to bees and wasps, lives mainly in colonies of millions of individuals.

They are divided into specialized groups with roles such as workers, soldiers and queens. The workers, all female, take care of the queen and her offspring.

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