Ants are
eusocial insects of the family
Formicidae and, along with the related
wasps and
bees, belong to the order
Hymenoptera. Ants
evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-
Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and
diversified after the rise of
flowering plants. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000
species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.