last updated 12.Nov.2007 |
Ant Queens
Most ants in a colony are female, but in most ant species the vast majority
are sterile worker ants incapable of reproduction. Those females
that are fertile are often called queens, and their primary role in the
colony is egg-laying. Queens are usually morphologically different
from workers. They have greatly enlarged mid-sections to hold the
wings and flight muscles that carry them on their mating flights and to
new nest sites, and their large abdomens are specialized for egg production.
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Females (Queens):
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