What are adult ants able to ingest?

Adult ants primarily ingest liquids, which are essential for their survival as they need to maintain hydration and take in necessary nutrients. This liquid intake often comes from the sugary secretions of aphids or nectar from plants, which serve as significant food sources for many ant species. Their mouthparts are adapted for sipping or lapping up fluids rather than chewing solid foods.

In contrast, while ants may interact with solid foods, such as when foraging for seeds or dead insects, they typically process these items to extract the nutrients, often breaking them down into smaller pieces or converting them into a liquid state that they can consume. Gases cannot be ingested as food sources, and powdered substances would not provide the hydration needs that ants require. Thus, the focus on liquid ingestion highlights the nutritional and physiological needs of adult ants in their ecological contexts.