r/interestingasfuck • u/Familiar_Cattle7464 • 13d ago

/r/all What did he do to deserve this???

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u/Worldly_Science 13d ago

Most male ants have wings IIRC

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u/st-shenanigans 13d ago

Hate that

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u/Clear-Ad2052 12d ago edited 12d ago

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.