Unveiling the Queen Ant: Size Secrets & Why They Rule the Colony 2024

Last Updated on March 28, 2024 by themubbi63

Like with bees, we all know that there’s two distinct divisions between ants of the female sex – the workers and the queens. So what exactly makes a queen ant a queen ant? How are they differentiated from the workers? How can we tell them apart and why is this distinction different? Well, a lot of the answers to those questions have to do with the size of the queen ant.

Queen Ant Length

The queen ant in most species is much bigger than both the worker female ants and the males of the species. Ranging in size from around 2 – 3 mm to 52 mm or 2 inches according to the species, the queen-ant towers over the others.

These numbers might seem small to us humans (and of course they are given our own size). But you should keep in mind that most worker ants only measure 1 – 5 mm. This makes it clear how big queen ants actually are.

Measurements	Queen Ants	Worker Ants
Millimeters	2 – 52 mm (0.07 – 2 inches)	1 – 5 mm (0.03 – 0.19 inches)

Smallest Queen-Ants 

Now, of course, that’s not to say that there aren’t tiny queen ants. There are thousands of species of ants and they’ve all got unique characteristics. Some of the tiniest queen-ants are barely any bigger than the worker ants.

Such is the case with the thief ant (Solenopsis molesta) where the queen is only 2 – 3 mm or the slave making ant (Polyergus breviceps) where the queen is no more than 3 – 5 mm long. Despite this, it’s quite easy to tell the queen ant apart from the rest because of their unique body structures.

Animals	Millimeters	Inches
Thief Ant Queens	2 – 3	0.07 – 0.12
Slave Making Ant Queens	3 – 5	0.12 – 0.19

Largest Queen-Ants

Carpenter ants usually have the largest queens with some reaching over half an inch in size. In fact, carpenter ant queens usually measure between 13 and 17 mm in length. One species, the Florida carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus) can reach 25 mm or 1 inch in length.

Even bigger is the abnormally large Asian bullet ant (Paraponera clavata). With a queen measuring 38 mm or 1.5 inches, this is an unusually large size for any ant to reach.

Animals	Millimeters	Inches
Florida Carpenter Ant Queens	25	1
Asian Bullet Ant Queens	38	1.5

Queen-Ant Lifespan

Something extremely fascinating about the queen ant? They can live quite long lives as compared to the workers and male ants. Worker ants generally live for 1 to 7 years while male ants only live for a couple of weeks (their only purpose being to breed with the queen). 

Queen-ants, on the other hand, can live up to 25 years or even more (especially if kept in safe laboratory conditions). This longer lifespan is because of a couple of genes in queens that allow their bodies to repair any damages that they might sustain.

Queen Ant Clutch Size

It really depends upon the kind of ant – how many eggs she might produce. Fire ant queens can produce as many as 1000 eggs per day. The quee- ant can retain sperm cells on her body for long periods of time and go on producing eggs day after day even without mating.

Ants can produce two kinds of eggs – either fertilized or non-fertilized. The fertilized eggs hatch to develop female worker ants while the non-fertilized eggs hatch males. Thus, male ants technically have no fathers. And what about future queens? Well, if a fertilized egg gets a lot of nourishment and nurture, it might develop into a future queen ant.

Why Are Queen Ants the Biggest?

As noted above, queen ants usually get more nutrition as an egg and as a pupa. She can eat as much as she wants and doesn’t have any kind of restrictions on her diet. Often, she’ll get the most choice meals.

But apart from that, what purpose is their bigger body? Well, the purpose of the queen ant is basically the propagation of the species. It’s her job to lay eggs and keep the colony going. The larger body helps her carry enough nutrients to nourish her young, especially during her maiden clutch. With later clutches, the worker ants help her nourish the young.

Identifying Queen-Ants

Now that you’ve learned all of that about queen ants, how will you know which is the queen ant? Well, size is a good indication of which is the queen ant in any colony. If you find a colony of ants where a number of smaller ants are surrounding a larger ant and caring for her, odds are the larger ant is the queen.

But even apart from that, some things set queen-ants apart. One especially fascinating fact? Only queen ants and male ants have wings, not worker ants. This is because they have to take part in their nuptial flight where they mate and start breeding. But you can differentiate between male ants and queen-ants because the latter have wings with 13 segments.

Finally, the thorax or middle part of the queen ant’s body which bridges the neck and abdomen is often wider and larger than the worker ants. This is because the thorax is meant to support the wings, even if the wings have been shed (which queen ants do at certain times in their life).

All of these signs can help identify the queen-ant from the other ants in the colony.

Conclusion

Queen ants reign supreme for a reason! Their impressive size, extended lifespan, and unique body features all contribute to their role as the colony’s egg-laying powerhouse. Now you’re equipped to identify a queen ant and appreciate the fascinating secrets behind her size and power.

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