How Do Ants Create a Queen?

Almost every ant species has a queen. The queen plays a significant role in the ant society. She is responsible for the reproduction of the colony. She is also responsible for maintaining the health and cleanliness of the colony.

In many species, queens have wings. When the wings are shed, the queen is considered to be an ergatoid or short-winged queen. Some queens, however, retain their wings throughout their lives.

A queen’s job is to fertilize the eggs of her mate. She stores the sperm in a pouch in her abdomen. The sperm then fertilizes the eggs and the eggs hatch into females. The queen is the most important member of the ant caste system.

The ant’s social hierarchy is not without controversy. While some species of ants accept pregnant queens back into the colony, most do not. It is estimated that there are more than 12,500 species of ants.

While many scientists believe that the social hierarchy in ants is a matter of nature and nurture, new evidence suggests that it is actually a matter of genetics. A recent study in the Science journal showed that ants have a complex social structure.

Among other things, workers help the queen to feed her young and groom them. They also patrol the colony to keep conflicts in check. They also forage for food and dispose of waste.

Newly mated queens need a dark environment. They also need a source of water. Trapped water can provide the queen with both of these needs.