hypervelocity: about winged ants. (5. Jun 2007 21:31)

hi all, if you are not to shure what a winged ant is, i will try to help you out here... ( i will be using Lasius Niger ants as an egsample )

A winged ant is known as an alite ant (i think). These ants will come out at sertan times of the year, usaly after heavy rain folowed by warm sunshine . The big winged ants you can somtimes see are young queens. The smaller ones you can find are mail ants, there only goal in life is to fertilize the queens and after they have they will die. Maiting happens in flight, the queen will mait with about 5 mails then fly on the floor and snip of her wings. The queen will then set about making a new colony of ants.

( Feel free to post here to tell me if i have made any mistakes about winged ants or if you wish to add more infomation. or you can ask questions about winged ants.)

McK: (6. Jun 2007 17:53)

Everthing is correct I think, but the mating does not only happen in flight, but also on the ground.

Skippy: (6. Jun 2007 19:23)

I also think ,all thinks are right ,but some spec have not flying ants - or they have winged ants ,but have swarming only in nest/on the nest ;)

Skippy

hypervelocity: (6. Jun 2007 20:14)

Hi all,

facinating facts!!!!

JimmyVe: (7. Jun 2007 21:07)

I'm not sure if they are species that don't have winged ants. could be. but for European species, they all keep a swarm time.

Skippy: (7. Jun 2007 21:09)

One ant spec have not workers ,only queens are in nest - but only one is fertile

Skippy

hypervelocity: (7. Jun 2007 22:53)

Hi all,

True skippy, plus when the queen dies some workers become fertile.

JimmyVe: (8. Jun 2007 17:39)

That is true and not true. I think i know the species you are talking about.

If the queen dies they will fight to become the new queen (the workers i mean) but they are not actually queens, they only become one if the queens dies. (i think they are Australian ants, but i'm not sure of the species)