Flying ants are small winged insects that are related to regular ants. They are usually black or dark brown in color and have two pairs of wings. The front wings are larger than the back wings and are used for flying. The back wings are used for balance. Flying ants have a narrow waist and a small head. Their antennae are long and thin.
Flying ants are not really a separate species of ant. They are just regular ants that have wings. When the weather gets warm in the spring and summer male and female ants mate. After they mate the female ants chew off their own wings. The males keep their wings.
After a few weeks the eggs that the female ants laid hatch into larvae. The larvae grow and molt several times. Eventually they turn into pupae. The pupae look like ants that are sleeping. They have no wings.
After a few weeks the pupae turn into flying ants. The flying ants that come out of the pupae are males. They mate with the females that have no wings. Then they die. The females that mate with the males will chew off their wings and become regular wingless ants again.
The cycle starts over again the next year.
What do flying ants look like?
Most species of flying ants are black or dark brown and have wings.
However the coloring of flying ants can vary somewhat depending on the species.
Do flying ants bite?
No flying ants do not bite.
Can flying ants sting?
Yes some species of flying ants can sting.
What do flying ants eat?
Flying ants primarily eat other insects and honeydew (a sugary substance secreted by aphids and other plant-sucking insects).
Do flying ants live in colonies?
Yes flying ants live in colonies with a complex social structure.
How long do flying ants live?
Depending on the species flying ants can live anywhere from a few weeks to several months.
What is the difference between a flying ant and a termite?
Termites have a broad waist and two pairs of wings that are all the same size.
Flying ants have a narrow waist and two pairs of wings with the back pair being much smaller than the front pair.
What is the difference between a flying ant and a carpenter ant?
Carpenter ants are larger than flying ants and have a single node (or “humped” appearance) between the thorax and abdomen.
Carpenter ants also do not have wings.
What is the difference between a flying ant and a fire ant?
Fire ants are red or red and black while flying ants are black or dark brown.
Fire ants also have a stinger.
How do flying ants reproduce?
Flying ants reproduce through a process called “nuptial flight.
” In nuptial flight winged males and females fly away from their nests to mate.
After mating the female will fly back to the nest and shed her wings.
The male usually dies soon after mating.
How do flying ants mate?
Before mating the male and female flying ants will engage in a ritual called the “nuptial flight dance.
” During this dance the male and female will lock their antennae together and spiral around each other in the air.
What is the life cycle of a flying ant?
The life cycle of a flying ant consists of four stages: egg larva pupa and adult.
How do flying ants change from larva to adult?
Flying ants go through a process called metamorphosis to change from larva to adult.
During metamorphosis the larva will develop into a pupa inside a cocoon.
After a few weeks the pupa will emerge from the cocoon as an adult ant.
What is the purpose of the nuptial flight?
The nuptial flight is a ritual in which flying ants mate.
After mating the female will fly back to the nest and shed her wings.
The male usually dies soon after mating.
Do all species of flying ants have wings?
No not all species of flying ants have wings.
Some species of flying ants are wingless.
