Transfer of food
The transfer of food among ants is essential for the survival of the colony. Ants store some of the food they have consumed in a crop, which is also called the social stomach. Food is not digested in it, but the ants are able to regurgitate food from it and pass it on to other inhabitants of the nest. This process is called trophallaxis. The food may be transferred 3–5 times by its carriers on the route from the source of the food to its destination.
Living honey barrels
Honeypot ants found in deserts and semi-deserts have an unusual way of storing food. As individual workers receive extensive amounts of food, their crop expands and their abdomen becomes round like a berry. They hang on the wall of the nest and serve as a living food store.