There are approximately 12,000 different species of ants across the world. They are a very social insect with amazingly organized colonies that can contain up to 1 million members. There is not one species that consists of only ants with wings, rather certain members of the colony have wings. Termites have often been confused with flying ants, but there is no relationship between the two.
The queen is the only member of a colony who lays eggs, and she has wings. Once mating is over a queen ant loses her wings, as she will never mate again, and there is a reason why. During mating a queen will scatter away from the males in her colony to avoid cross breeding, once this is accomplished she sends out pheromones to attract males from different colonies. She then flees from these males and only the fastest and fittest males will catch and mate with her. She will mate with several males. The queen has a special organ, called a spermatheca, where the sperm is stored and will last her lifetime. She will then be able to fertilize tens of millions of eggs. Male ants who have wings mate with the queen and that is their only job. These male ants are much smaller and lighter than the queen. Mating occurs in the air, and shortly after mating the male dies. Many ant colonies swarm at the same time, increasing the chance that they will mate. This swarming and mating can go on for hours, and even up to a few days. Once new queens and males are born into an ant colony, they develop wings, mate and make new colonies. Male ants come from unfertilized eggs. Most fertilized eggs usually develop into sterile female worker ants, unless the larvae receive special attention, in that case they develop into virgin queens. Worker ants, which are all females, build nests, search for food, safeguard the young, and defend the colony. They make up the largest population of the colony, and are extremely important to protect the queen and male ants with wings. Without this protection there would not be a colony, as the males and queen have only one purpose. The continuation of the colony.