The role of the queen ant in colonies
Ants are one of the few animals that live in an eusocial society. One of the characteristics of an eusociety is the presence of a queen who leads all the other members of the community.
What is eusociety? Eusociety is the most complex form of social organization observed in the animal kingdom. Its structure is based on the recognition of castes, where each individual fulfills his role previously determined for the harmonious functioning of his community.
Generally, eusocial societies are usually associated with some species of insects, such as ants, bees and wasps.
In eusocial societies there is always the leading figure of the 'queen', who is the great mother and leader of her colony. In general, each community has only one queen, as is the case with bees and wasps.
However, in many ant species it is observed that several queens share the same ant-bed: they form a polygyny colony. The queen ant is easy to identify, as it is much larger and more robust than the other insects in the community.
The queen ants are the only fertile females of the ants; from them all the other individuals of the colony are born. Their most important function is to transmit their genetic material to their descendants, to ensure that the species remains strong and able to survive.
Another essential role of the queen ant is to guarantee that its caste does not remain empty, since this would lead to the extermination of its colony. A queen ant can live up to 15 years, while workers only live a few days or weeks.
Before dying, the queen ant lays special eggs that are mediated by certain hormones. From these larvae will be born that the workers will take care of and feed in a special way so that, when they reach their maturity, they will fight to define who will be the new queen ant.
Functions of worker ants and soldiers
The workers are the infertile females who are responsible for the basic work in the anthill. Among their main functions are the collection of food, the breeding of larvae and the daily maintenance of the anthill. These are the smallest ants within the community, but they can carry up to 40 times their own body weight.
Soldier ants, in turn, are dedicated to protecting and defending the anthill from all kinds of threats. It is an intermediate class, in relation both to its size and its social function in the colony.
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