Ant Colony Life Cycle:
Mating: Nuptial Flight
In general the sexuals produced by colonies of a given region will fly on the same day and at the same time, enhancing their chance to meet in the nuptial flight and to close the cycle
Alternatives
In the cases the colonies produce either wingless males or females, there is not, of course, nuptial flights and in general colonies are then founded by fission, that is, part(s) of the colony leave(s) with the new queens(s) while the rest stay with the old queen(s). Several species in this category do not live in permanent nests, having adopted nomadic habits, alternating cycles of immature production linked to moving periods and periods when they stay in protected places
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© American Museum of Natural History, January 3, 1998; Acknowledgments. This page was written by C.R.F. Brandão and D.Agosti, and maintained by Donat Agosti