We've Seriously Underestimated Ants — New Research

There are 20 quadrillion ants on Earth, which equates to approximately 2.5 million ants for every human. Scientists have long debated why these insects have become one of the most numerous creatures in terms of individual numbers. Ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes sawflies, parasitoid wasps, bees, bumblebees, and wasps. The closest ancestors of ants are considered to be wasp‑like forms, which gave rise to them (according to phylogenetic analysis) in the mid‑Cretaceous period, approximately 110–130 (up to 170) million years ago. This occurred on the territory of the former supercontinent Laurasia. These conclusions are supported by anatomical and behavioral similarities, as well as numerous fossil finds of ants.