The female "queen" ants will fly a long distance, during which they will mate with at least one winged male from another nest. He transfers sperm to the seminal receptacle of the queen and then dies.

In most species, the male ants fly alongside them, although they are smaller and less noticeable. The queens fly around – some covering very long distances, others only a few meters – then mate and drop to the ground, where they lose their wings and attempt to start a new ant colony.

Apr 6, 2022 · Queens are among the two ant castes capable of flight. As virgins, most queen ants have wings which allow them to fly out of their nests and participate in a nuptial flight where they swarm and mate with other reproductives. In this article we’ll discuss how and why queen ants fly.

But queens are essential because they are the only ants that can lay eggs. These eggs hatch and grow into female workers that run the nest, or male and female swarmers that fly off to start new nests. So, queen ants are born as flying ants called swarmers. In the early stages of an ant colony, the queen lays eggs that hatch into female worker ants.

Nov 2, 2009 · New colonies get their start when winged queen and male ants fly out of mature colonies and mate. The image on the left, taken by Alex Wild, shows queens in flight. But how do these winged ants know when to fly out of the nest to find a new mate?

Queen ants lose their wings after mating to use them for nutrition, feed first-generation larvae, ensure the colony’s survival, and use these for food. Moreover, they mate once in life and do not engage in second nuptial flight, so these muscular structures are not required.

Jul 23, 2024 · Winged ants are swarming ants seeking to breed and reproduce. Flying ants may be male (the drone) or female (the queen). Both are reproductive ants that are seeking to mate and breed the next generation of ants for the survival of their colony.

Jun 9, 2023 · The queen of an ant colony can ordinarily control male egg production precisely by opening or closing her spermathecal valve "at will," thus determining whether an egg in the vaginal passage is fertilized.

The head of the colony is the queen, and successfully treating a carpenter ant infestation typically requires eliminating the queen to halt reproduction. Find out what a carpenter ant queen looks like and learn how you can help prevent infestations in your home.