ant mound
Insect dirt pile
An ant mound is the visible pile of earth that ants excavate while building their underground nests.
The mound marks the entrance to the colony and helps regulate temperature and drainage.
Size varies dramatically by species—fire ant mounds can reach two feet high, while other species produce barely noticeable bumps: The lawn was dotted with ant mounds.
People doing jobs
- queenMost powerful chess piece
- soldiersMilitary personnel who fight
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
- broodHatchlings as a group
caste · cooperation · division of labor · nestmates · pheromones · altruism · swarm · superorganism
Loose dry earth
- excavationAct of unearthing
- clayMoldable earth for ceramics
- sandFine rock particles
- loamFertile soil mixture
silt · topsoil · subsoil · sediment · earth · granular · compacted · moist
Accumulated loose earth
- tunnelsUnderground hollow pathways
- chambersEnclosed functional rooms
- galleriesSpaces for displaying art
- ventilation shaftsPassages for air circulation
nursery · entrance hole · crater · turret · excavation · underground network · burrow · pellets
Interconnected organisms and surroundings
- microhabitatSmall distinct living area
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
organic matter · seed dispersal · food web · predator-prey · microclimate · detritus · earthworm · soil fertility
workers
People doing jobs
- queenMost powerful chess piece
- soldiersMilitary personnel who fight
- larvaeImmature metamorphosing creatures
brood · caste · cooperation · division of labor · nestmates · pheromones · altruism · swarm · superorganism
dirt
Loose dry earth
- excavationAct of unearthing
- clayMoldable earth for ceramics
- sandFine rock particles
loam · silt · topsoil · subsoil · sediment · earth · granular · compacted · moist · dry
dirt pile
Accumulated loose earth
- tunnelsUnderground hollow pathways
- chambersEnclosed functional rooms
- galleriesSpaces for displaying art
ventilation shafts · nursery · entrance hole · crater · turret · excavation · underground network · burrow · pellets
ecosystem
Interconnected organisms and surroundings
- microhabitatSmall distinct living area
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
decomposition · organic matter · seed dispersal · food web · predator-prey · microclimate · detritus · earthworm · soil fertility · carbon sequestration
leafcutter
Ant that farms fungi
- FormicaWood ant genus
- Moundscairn, dirt pile, heap, hill, hillock
- antsFormica
- insect homesbeehive, hive, wasp nest, hornet nest, nest
- microhabitatsmicrohabitat, tree hollows, tide pool, rock crevices, leaf litter
- leafcutter antsatta, worker caste, queen, forager, majors
ant moundtermite mound
Nest built from soil
wasp nest · beehive · bee hive · hornet nest · spider web