The winged insects noticed swarming in the summer are indeed ants, but they do not represent a new species or a new phase in the life cycle. Instead, these are the reproductive members of an existing colony, temporarily equipped with wings for a singular, momentous event. This flying caste is produced by mature colonies only when conditions are right for them to leave and potentially establish new nests elsewhere.
The reproductive individuals are referred to as alates, and their brief flight is the only time an ant leaves its terrestrial existence. The presence of wings signifies the ant has reached sexual maturity, a stage necessary for the continuation of the species. This caste includes both the future virgin queens and the male drones, both originating from the normal, wingless colonies we see daily.
Identifying Winged Ants and Separating Them From Termites
Winged termites, also known as swarmers, often emerge around the same time as flying ants, leading to common misidentification. Distinguishing between the two requires examining three key morphological features: the antennae, the waist, and the wings. Ants possess antennae that are distinctively bent or “elbowed,” forming a sharp angle in the middle of the segment. Termite swarmers, in contrast, have straight antennae composed of small, bead-like segments.
The most noticeable difference is the body structure, specifically the waist connecting the thorax and abdomen. A flying ant features a narrow, constricted, or “pinched” waist, which clearly separates its three body segments. Termites have a broad or straight waist, giving their body a uniform thickness from end to end.
Both insects have two pairs of wings, but their structure differs significantly. Winged ants have front wings that are noticeably larger than their hind wings, making the pairs unequal in size. Termite swarmers possess two pairs of wings that are nearly identical in size and shape. Furthermore, termite wings are often twice as long as their body, while ant wings are more proportionate to their body length.
The Biological Purpose of the Nuptial Flight
The flight of these alates is not a random occurrence but a precisely timed reproductive event known as the nuptial flight. This mass emergence achieves genetic dispersal and outbreeding, preventing inbreeding depression. Virgin queens and males leave their parental nests simultaneously to mate with individuals from different, unrelated colonies.
Synchronization of the nuptial flight across multiple colonies in a large geographic area is triggered by specific environmental cues. Warm temperatures, low wind, and high humidity, particularly following significant rainfall, signal the optimal conditions for dispersal and subsequent colony founding. The newly moist soil makes it easier for a fertilized queen to excavate her first chamber after landing.
During the flight, male drones compete to mate with the virgin queens, sometimes multiple times while airborne or upon landing. The massive numbers of alates swarming together provides safety, ensuring a high percentage of reproductives survive predation long enough to successfully mate. The males’ role is complete once mating has occurred.
Post-Flight Life Establishing a New Colony
Immediately following the nuptial flight, the fate of the two sexes diverges drastically. Male drones, having fulfilled their sole biological purpose of fertilization, typically die within a day or two of the event. The newly fertilized queens, however, begin establishing a new home.
Upon landing, the mated queen searches for a suitable, protected site, often a crack in the soil or a small crevice, to begin her nest. She then performs dealation, chewing off her wings at a pre-formed line of weakness near the base. These discarded wing muscles are metabolized, providing a high-protein energy source to sustain the queen during the initial, isolated stage of colony founding.
The queen seals herself into a small founding chamber, relying on stored fat reserves and protein from her former flight muscles. She lays her first clutch of eggs and tends to them alone, without foraging, until the first generation of worker ants emerges. These first workers take over the duties of foraging and nest expansion, allowing the queen to transition into her life-long role as the colony’s sole egg-layer.