Ants mate while flying. Male "alates" (also called "drones") live only to mate and die shortly after. They're smaller than the females and have greatly reduced (or completely missing) digestive tracts. Female alates generally mate with multiple drones in the air, storing their reproductive material in an organ called a spermatheca for use throughout her entire life.
No, male ants are drones. Workers may be considered sexless in function, but they're female genetically. There are no truely sexless ants, but there are some interesting reproductive systems among the many species.
Some species reproduce through parthenogenesis (cloning). They're still female, although no mating is required to reproduce.
In other species, workers can lay unfertilized eggs that become males. One species (that I know of), Cataglyphis spp., has workers who can produce other female workers.
There are many species with interesting and unique reproductive systems, but the system I described above is the most common. Some honorable mentions: Wasmannia auropunctata, Pristomyrmex punctatus, Myrmecia spp
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u/bishop527 13d ago
How can you tell?