How High Can Ants Fly?
WouterDuring the flying ant season, dozens or hundreds of ant species fly over a particular location. This season helps them find mates and protects them from predators.
Species of ants vary in weight and flight altitude. The lightest species can fly as high as 100 m above the ground. The lighter insects have a lower wing loading and can be transported by rising air currents.
Some species of ants are wingless. Others have both wings and legs. They can lift objects 10 times their weight or more. Some ant species are bimorphic, meaning they have wingless workers and workers with wings. They can also inflict bites.
These winged ants create mating aggregations around trees, chimneys, trucks and other structures. They are fertile adults, and they can live up to 30 years.
The queens of an ant colony can be large, and they represent a continuous flow of biomass. They link the terrestrial food web with the aerial food web. They are reproductives and can mate with other queens and males.
Some queens also have secondary reproductives. These reproductives can take over queen duties. The queens can also live for ten years or more. The queens have a large, rounded body, and they are often fifteen millimeters in length.
The female ants reabsorb the muscles that powered the wings to raise the first brood. They then use these muscles to lay eggs. They lose their wings when they choose a new nesting site.
