Ant hill (ant mound)

Japanese: アリ塚(蟻塚) - ありづか（英語表記）ant hill

Ants and termites build nests by raising a small mound from the ground to the ground. The interior is made up of numerous small chambers and intricate passageways, and tens of thousands of members live in a social life centered around the queen. There are few species of ants that build mounds, but in Japan, the red mountain ant Siberian ant is found from Hokkaido to the central mountainous area of Honshu, and builds mounds (up to 2m in diameter and 50cm in height) in larch forests and grasslands by piling up coniferous leaves, dead branches, and soil. In addition to functioning as an extension of the nest below, these mounds also serve to keep the nest warm and prevent rainwater from seeping in.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

アリやシロアリ類が地中から地上へ小高く盛り上げてつくる巣で，内部は多数の小室と入り組んだ通路からなり，女王を中心に数万以上の構成員が社会生活をしている。アリ類で塚をつくる種は少なく，日本ではエゾアカヤマアリが北海道から本州中部山地にかけて分布し，カラマツ林や草地などに針葉樹の葉や枯枝，土などを積み上げて塚(最大，直径2m，高さ50cm)をつくる。この塚はその下にある巣の延長としての機能のほかに，巣の保温と雨水の浸入を防ぐ働きがある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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