Ants vs Termites: What's the Difference?
Termites and ants may look similar, but they have some major differences. Ants have a larger head, a narrow waist and a longer body than termites. They can also have one or two bent wings on their backs that are too short to allow them to fly long distances. Termites have long straight antennae, a broad waist and shorter legs than ants. Both insects have three pairs of jointed legs for walking and six legs in total.
Ants and Termites look similar, but they have some major differences
Ants and termites are both insects, and they share some similarities, but there are some major differences between them. Ants have a noticeably larger head, a narrow waist and a longer body than termites. They also have one or two bent wings on their backs that are too short to allow them to fly. Termites have long straight antennae, a broad waist and shorter legs than ants. Both insects have three pairs of jointed legs for walking and six legs in total.
Ants vs Termites comparison chart
Termites • Have wide waists, small heads and longer legs; antennae are straight and very long • Narrow waists, large heads and shorter legs; antennae are bent at a 90 degree angle • Live in colonies with a queen ant who is the only member able to reproduce. They have workers as well as soldiers • Have longer abdomens than ants • Shorter abdomens than ants • Live by themselves, except when they reproduce • Look similar to ants but have a shorter, broader waist and three pairs of legs on their thorax • Have one or two bent wings on their backs that are too short to allow them to fly
Ants • Have narrow waists, small heads and longer legs; antennae are bent • large heads and shorter legs; antennae are straight • Live in colonies with a queen ant who is the only member able to reproduce. They have workers as well as soldiers • Can carry many times their weight on their backs
The biggest difference between the two is what they eat
The biggest difference between ants and termites is what they eat. Ants eat a variety of things, including sweets, meats and other insects. Termites eat mostly wood. This difference is due to the way each insect lives. Ants live in colonies with a queen ant who is the only member able to reproduce. They have workers as well as soldiers.