Which Ants Are Female?
WouterWhether you want to know which ants are female or not, you have to understand their complex gender system. There are two main female castes in ant colonies, which are worker ants and queen ants. Male ants are a secondary caste. They do not do much of anything in ant society. They are only present in ant colonies to mate with queen ants.
Workers tend to the Queen’s needs, such as food and shelter. They also protect the colony against intruders. They also help to police conflicts. They also take care of children.
Queen ants are the largest ants in the colony. They can live up to 25 years. Their wings allow them to fly off and find mates. They also have a large thorax. They may have a large number of wing nubs on the back. They also have a large gaster to accommodate the massive egg production.
Female ants are usually born from fertilized eggs. They are also diploid, meaning they carry two copies of their genome.
Queen ants are fertile, but they do not lay male eggs. Their offspring will develop into workers, but not have their own offspring.
Queen ants also have wings, but they are short-winged. This is an important feature for them, since it allows them to digest the wings of other ants to nourish themselves. It also allows them to select which eggs to fertilize and which to reject. They are also able to mate with other queens to produce females.
