2006-07-25 03:15:29 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Actually it works the other way around, the queen chooses her ants. At the establishment of a new colony, there is only the queen present.
The queen takes what is known as a nuptual flight, at this stage they are called "flying ants" these are the potential queens of the next generation. There are also several males that will be born as well, they also develop wings and will mate with these flying queens.
Once she has successfully mated, she will search out a good potential site for the establishment of a new colony. She will dig out a tiny hole and begin laying her eggs. She will tend to these eggs and make sure that they develope. Once they develop, she feeds the larvae, and they eventually metamorphose into workers. Once this happens they take over all the chores in the colony, and the queen retires to a deeper area dug by the newly developed workers. In here she will continue to lay eggs for the rest of her life, creating new workers all the time. She stores sperm from that single mating she had in her flight, and can produce millions of offspring from it.
I hope that answers your question!
It gets a little more complicated than that, but I just simplified it!
Good Question!
2006-07-25 03:59:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
In ants there are 3 categories the queens, the males and the drones (Workers). The queens and the males are formed from fertilized eggs. the Drones are produced from non fertilized eggs. The queens die after laying the eggs. The males die soon after copulating -- having performed the only function that they were born for. The workers are born sexless and work towards maintenance of the colony.
So unlike human beings where the professions are chosen ants are born into the profession, queen inclusive.
2006-07-25 03:35:02 · answer #2 · answered by Rabindra 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the queen ant starts producing too many male ants, the nursery ants start feeding several of the larva a special mix that will genetically make them queens. When they are mature they mate and then start colonies of their own, while one will typically stay and take over the existing colony.
2006-07-25 03:26:25 · answer #3 · answered by kethan_wererider 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't . . . queens are born, not chosen. While it's true that most of the eggs the queen lays are workers or another caste, occasionally the queen will lay queen eggs, which will either go and make a new colony or take over for the old queen if she is getting old.
2006-07-25 03:20:39 · answer #4 · answered by Isis-sama 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the case of ants, I think queens are born and not made.
2006-07-25 03:18:49 · answer #5 · answered by laclockiecelestialle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess is that it is similar to how a bee hive functions. A certain ant may produce a pheromone that tells the others she is queen and all other ants producing this pheromone must be killed.
2006-07-25 03:19:31 · answer #6 · answered by Steph 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all ants come in one size, but there is always a huge ant for every group, so it becomes the queen.
2006-07-25 03:20:22 · answer #7 · answered by lomatar1186 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They feed numerous larvae royal jelly which turns them into queens. the first queen that emerges from her cellular is going around the hive and stings the different queen larvae to lack of existence.
2016-11-25 22:59:45 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I DIDNT KNOW they chose them. i thought the queen was born way bigger than the rest. hell if i know?
2006-07-25 03:18:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talent contest.
2006-07-25 03:18:38 · answer #10 · answered by perfecttiming1 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋