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45-420: Limmen has been mentioned in various documents since 750, by the name Limbon and later Limmen. It has seen prosperous times, but also times of struggle. When the people of Limmen became more dependent on agriculture instead of trade at the beginning of the 15th century, the more wealthy moved away. For three centuries Limmen did not develop or grow, despite some efforts made to make the town more attractive. Around

90-412: A Proto-Indo-European word *morwi- was the root for Sanskrit vamrah , Greek μύρμηξ mýrmēx , Old Church Slavonic mraviji , Old Irish moirb , Old Norse maurr , Dutch mier , Swedish myra , Danish myre , Middle Dutch miere , and Crimean Gothic miera . The family Formicidae belongs to the order Hymenoptera , which also includes sawflies , bees , and wasps . Ants evolved from

135-488: A cosmopolitan distribution . They are found on all continents except Antarctica , and only a few large islands, such as Greenland , Iceland , parts of Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands lack native ant species. Ants occupy a wide range of ecological niches and exploit many different food resources as direct or indirect herbivores, predators and scavengers. Most ant species are omnivorous generalists , but

180-400: A conservative estimate of the ants at about 20 × 10 (20 quadrillion). Ants range in size from 0.75 to 52 millimetres (0.030–2.0 in), the largest species being the fossil Titanomyrma giganteum , the queen of which was 6 cm ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) long with a wingspan of 15 cm (6 in). Ants vary in colour; most ants are yellow to red or brown to black, but

225-499: A few are specialist feeders. There is considerable variation in ant abundance across habitats, peaking in the moist tropics to nearly six times that found in less suitable habitats. Their ecological dominance has been examined primarily using estimates of their biomass : myrmecologist E. O. Wilson had estimated in 2009 that at any one time the total number of ants was between one and ten quadrillion ( short scale ) (i.e., between 10 and 10 ) and using this estimate he had suggested that

270-596: A few dozen individuals often living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories with sizeable nest that consist of millions of individuals or into the hundreds of millions in super colonies . Typical colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called " queens " ( gynes ). The colonies are described as superorganisms because

315-406: A few species are green and some tropical species have a metallic lustre . More than 13,800 species are currently known (with upper estimates of the potential existence of about 22,000; see the article List of ant genera ), with the greatest diversity in the tropics. Taxonomic studies continue to resolve the classification and systematics of ants. Online databases of ant species, including AntWeb and

360-409: A high resolution image. They also have three small ocelli (simple eyes) on the top of the head that detect light levels and polarization . Compared to vertebrates , ants tend to have blurrier eyesight, particularly in smaller species, and a few subterranean taxa are completely blind . However, some ants, such as Australia's bulldog ant , have excellent vision and are capable of discriminating

405-519: A lineage within the stinging wasps , and a 2013 study suggests that they are a sister group of the Apoidea . However, since Apoidea is a superfamily, ants must be upgraded to the same rank. A more detailed basic taxonomy was proposed in 2020. Three species of the extinct mid- Cretaceous genera Camelomecia and Camelosphecia were placed outside of the Formicidae, in a separate clade within

450-446: A node-like petiole . The head, mesosoma , and metasoma are the three distinct body segments (formally tagmata ). The petiole forms a narrow waist between their mesosoma ( thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole may be formed by one or two nodes (the second alone, or the second and third abdominal segments). Tergosternal fusion, when

495-403: A protective casing around the body and a point of attachment for muscles, in contrast to the internal skeletons of humans and other vertebrates . Insects do not have lungs ; oxygen and other gases, such as carbon dioxide , pass through their exoskeleton via tiny valves called spiracles . Insects also lack closed blood vessels ; instead, they have a long, thin, perforated tube along the top of

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540-430: A single gene of Solenopsis invicta can decide whether the colony will have single or multiple queens. The Australian jack jumper ant ( Myrmecia pilosula ) has only a single pair of chromosomes (with the males having just one chromosome as they are haploid ), the lowest number known for any animal, making it an interesting subject for studies in the genetics and developmental biology of social insects. Genome size

585-444: A tubular, six-lobed perianth . In Greek mythology , Hyacinth was a young man admired by Apollo and Zephyr , but killed by a discus in a jealous fight between the two gods; a flower was allegedly named after him when it sprang from his blood. However, Theophrastus describes both a cultivated and a wild plant called ὑάκινθος ( hyakinthos ), neither of which are considered to be the modern hyacinth. The reproduction of

630-450: A winter dormancy period, and will only persist in cold-weather regions. It is grown for the clusters of strongly fragrant, brightly coloured flowers. Over 2,000 cultivars have been selected and named, with flower colour in shades of blue, white, pale yellow, pink, red or purple; most cultivars have also been selected for denser flower spikes than the wild type, bearing 40–100 or more flowers on each spike. The following cultivars have gained

675-498: Is paraphyletic In 1966, E. O. Wilson and his colleagues identified the fossil remains of an ant ( Sphecomyrma ) that lived in the Cretaceous period. The specimen, trapped in amber dating back to around 92 million years ago, has features found in some wasps, but not found in modern ants. The oldest fossils of ants date to the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago, which belong to extinct stem-groups such as

720-435: Is a bulbous plant, with a 3–7 cm (1.2–2.8 in) diameter bulb. The leaves are strap-shaped, 15–35 cm (5.9–13.8 in) long and 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) broad, with a soft, succulent texture, and produced in a basal whorl . The flowering stem is a raceme , which grows to 20–35 cm (7.9–13.8 in) (rarely to 45 cm (18 in)) tall, bearing 2–50 fragrant purple flowers 2–3.5 cm long with

765-456: Is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae , subfamily Scilloideae , native to southwestern Asia, southern and central Turkey, northwestern Syria, Lebanon and northern Palestine . It was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. It is widely cultivated everywhere in the temperate world for its strongly fragrant flowers which appear exceptionally early in the season, and frequently forced to flower at Christmas time. It

810-445: Is also a small number of Fritillaria and crocus, primarily the C.vernus types. In addition to functioning as a gene bank, the garden has a seasonal display of thousands of heirloom bulbs, some of which are no longer in commercial production. Certain tulips originated in the 16th century. https://hortus-bulborum.nl/ Hyacinthus orientalis Hyacinthus orientalis , the common hyacinth , garden hyacinth or Dutch hyacinth ,

855-436: Is possible to grow the bulbs in a narrow-necked vase of water, thus being able to view the root growth. Alternatively, bulbs can be purchased pre-forced. H. orientalis contains alkaloids and is toxic if eaten in large quantities. The bulb, however, is the most poisonous part and should not be ingested under any circumstances. Ants Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with

900-700: The Haidomyrmecinae , Sphecomyrminae and Zigrasimeciinae , with modern ant subfamilies appearing towards the end of the Cretaceous around 80–70 million years ago. Ants diversified extensively during the Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution and assumed ecological dominance around 60 million years ago. Some groups, such as the Leptanillinae and Martialinae , are suggested to have diversified from early primitive ants that were likely to have been predators underneath

945-810: The Paleogene period . By the Oligocene and Miocene , ants had come to represent 20–40% of all insects found in major fossil deposits. Of the species that lived in the Eocene epoch, around one in 10 genera survive to the present. Genera surviving today comprise 56% of the genera in Baltic amber fossils (early Oligocene), and 92% of the genera in Dominican amber fossils (apparently early Miocene). Termites live in colonies and are sometimes called "white ants", but termites are only distantly related to ants. They are

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990-488: The Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit :- Hyacinths are among the most popular bulbs selected for the process known as forcing, whereby plants are induced to flower earlier than their natural season (in this case, Christmas). It involves depriving bulbs of light and warmth for a period of several weeks, before growing them on in a bright, cool place such as a kitchen windowsill. It

1035-438: The haplodiploid sex-determination system in ants, workers of a number of species can lay unfertilised eggs that become fully fertile, haploid males. The role of workers may change with their age and in some species, such as honeypot ants , young workers are fed until their gasters are distended, and act as living food storage vessels. These food storage workers are called repletes . For instance, these replete workers develop in

1080-485: The mandibles , used to carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defence. In some species, a small pocket (infrabuccal chamber) inside the mouth stores food, so it may be passed to other ants or their larvae. Both the legs and wings of the ant are attached to the mesosoma ("thorax"). The legs terminate in a hooked claw which allows them to hook on and climb surfaces. Only reproductive ants ( queens and males) have wings. Queens shed their wings after

1125-457: The nuptial flight , leaving visible stubs, a distinguishing feature of queens. In a few species, wingless queens ( ergatoids ) and males occur. The metasoma (the "abdomen") of the ant houses important internal organs, including those of the reproductive, respiratory (tracheae), and excretory systems. Workers of many species have their egg-laying structures modified into stings that are used for subduing prey and defending their nests. In

1170-605: The red imported fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta ) of South America, are regarded as invasive species in other parts of the world, establishing themselves in areas where they have been introduced accidentally. The word ant and the archaic word emmet are derived from ante , emete of Middle English , which come from ǣmette of Old English ; these are all related to Low Saxon e(e)mt , empe and varieties ( Old Saxon emeta ) and to German Ameise ( Old High German āmeiza ). All of these words come from West Germanic * ǣmaitjōn , and

1215-509: The Hymenoptera Name Server, help to keep track of the known and newly described species. The relative ease with which ants may be sampled and studied in ecosystems has made them useful as indicator species in biodiversity studies. Ants are distinct in their morphology from other insects in having geniculate (elbowed) antennae , metapleural glands , and a strong constriction of their second abdominal segment into

1260-758: The North American honeypot ant Myrmecocystus mexicanus . Usually the largest workers in the colony develop into repletes; and, if repletes are removed from the colony, other workers become repletes, demonstrating the flexibility of this particular polymorphism . This polymorphism in morphology and behaviour of workers initially was thought to be determined by environmental factors such as nutrition and hormones that led to different developmental paths ; however, genetic differences between worker castes have been noted in Acromyrmex sp. These polymorphisms are caused by relatively small genetic changes; differences in

1305-1167: The ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony. Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth . The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in moist tropical ecosystems and may exceed the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic , commensal , parasitic , and mutualistic relationships. Ant societies have division of labour , communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems . These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication, and rites. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. Their ability to exploit resources may bring ants into conflict with humans, however, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as

1350-556: The body (called the "dorsal aorta") that functions like a heart, and pumps haemolymph toward the head, thus driving the circulation of the internal fluids. The nervous system consists of a ventral nerve cord that runs the length of the body, with several ganglia and branches along the way reaching into the extremities of the appendages. An ant's head contains many sensory organs . Like most insects, ants have compound eyes made from numerous tiny lenses attached together. Ant eyes are good for acute movement detection, but do not offer

1395-515: The colonies of a few ant species, there are physical castes—workers in distinct size-classes, called minor (micrergates), median, and major ergates (macrergates). Often, the larger ants have disproportionately larger heads, and correspondingly stronger mandibles . Although formally known as dinergates, such individuals are sometimes called "soldier" ants because their stronger mandibles make them more effective in fighting, although they still are workers and their "duties" typically do not vary greatly from

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1440-532: The distance and size of objects moving nearly a meter away. Based on experiments conducted to test their ability to differentiate between selected wavelengths of light, some ant species such as Camponotus blandus, Solenopsis invicta, and Formica cunicularia are thought to possess a degree of colour vision. Two antennae ("feelers") are attached to the head; these organs detect chemicals, air currents , and vibrations ; they also are used to transmit and receive signals through touch. The head has two strong jaws,

1485-529: The elaiosome for food. There, the seeds can germinate. H. orientalis has a long history of cultivation as an ornamental plant , grown across the Mediterranean region, and later France (where it is used in perfumery), the Netherlands (a major centre of cultivation) and elsewhere. It flowers in the early spring, growing best in full sun to part shade in well-drained, but not dry, soil. It requires

1530-874: The general superfamily Formicoidea , which, together with Apoidea, forms the higher-ranking group Formicapoidina . Fernández et al. (2021) suggest that the common ancestors of ants and apoids within the Formicapoidina probably existed as early as in the end of the Jurassic period, before divergence in the Cretaceous. Chrysidoidea Vespidae Rhopalosomatidae Pompilidae Mutillidae Tiphiidae Chyphotidae Scolioidea Apoidea Formicidae Myrmicinae Ectatomminae Heteroponerinae Formicinae Dolichoderinae Aneuretinae Pseudomyrmecinae Myrmeciinae Dorylinae‡ Ponerinae Agroecomyrmecinae Paraponerinae Proceratiinae Amblyoponinae Apomyrminae Leptanillinae Martialinae *Cerapachyinae

1575-489: The minor or median workers. In a few species, the median workers are absent, creating a sharp divide between the minors and majors. Weaver ants , for example, have a distinct bimodal size distribution. Some other species show continuous variation in the size of workers. The smallest and largest workers in Carebara diversa show nearly a 500-fold difference in their dry weights. Workers cannot mate; however, because of

1620-520: The month of May. People living there make mosaics with the flowers of the Hyacinthus orientalis and set up the mosaics in front of their house. People from around the Netherlands come to visit Limmen these days. Bloemendagen Limmen The village also has a botanical museum, called Hortus Bulborum. This is a collection garden with it 4,000 spring-flowering historical bulbs. This collection consists primarily of tulips, narcissus and hyacinths, but there

1665-554: The original meaning of the word was "the biter" (from Proto-Germanic * ai- , "off, away" + * mait- "cut"). The family name Formicidae is derived from the Latin formīca ("ant") from which the words in other Romance languages , such as the Portuguese formiga , Italian formica , Spanish hormiga , Romanian furnică , and French fourmi are derived. It has been hypothesised that

1710-413: The plant in cultivation can be done easily by dividing the newly appeared bulbs from the main plant. In nature, this method is also used by the hyacinth, but the plant also has a specific kind of reproduction by seeds. The plant is pollinated by different insects such as honey bees . The flowers are very fragrant and attract the insects by rewarding them with nectar . After flowering, the ripening of

1755-466: The related wasps and bees , belong to the order Hymenoptera . Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists. Ants form colonies that range in size from

1800-417: The seed capsules begins. They are fleshy, spherical structures. When the capsules reach maturity, they get dried and split into three parts. Each part has two subdivisions and contains a different quantity of seeds. The seeds are black grains with one white elaiosome of variable size. The seeds are dispersed through myrmecochory ; that is, ants find the seeds and take them into their burrows, where they use

1845-509: The sub-order Isoptera , and together with cockroaches , they form the order Blattodea . Blattodeans are related to mantids , crickets , and other winged insects that do not undergo complete metamorphosis . Like ants, termites are eusocial , with sterile workers, but they differ greatly in the genetics of reproduction. The similarity of their social structure to that of ants is attributed to convergent evolution . Velvet ants look like large ants, but are wingless female wasps . Ants have

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1890-532: The surface of the soil. During the Cretaceous period, a few species of primitive ants ranged widely on the Laurasian supercontinent (the Northern Hemisphere ). Their representation in the fossil record is poor, in comparison to the populations of other insects, representing only about 1% of fossil evidence of insects in the era. Ants became dominant after adaptive radiation at the beginning of

1935-464: The tergite and sternite of a segment fuse together, can occur partly or fully on the second, third and fourth abdominal segment and is used in identification. Fourth abdominal tergosternal fusion was formerly used as character that defined the poneromorph subfamilies, Ponerinae and relatives within their clade, but this is no longer considered a synapomorphic character. Like other arthropods, ants have an exoskeleton , an external covering that provides

1980-400: The total biomass of all the ants in the world was approximately equal to the total biomass of the entire human race. More careful estimates made in 2022 which take into account regional variations puts the global ant contribution at 12 megatons of dry carbon, which is about 20% of the total human contribution, but greater than that of the wild birds and mammals combined. This study also puts

2025-461: The year 1850 Limmen had only 450 inhabitants left. Limmen was made more accessible in the late 19th century as an effect of the growing Dutch infrastructure, making Limmen a growing town. More work was created, especially by growing bulbs, which made Limmen the so-called "bollencentrum" (bulb-centre) of the northern part of Holland. The annual "Bloemendagen" (Flower Days) are a tradition in Limmen in

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