A Prenolepis imparis winter ant gyne climbs a twig prior to her early spring mating flight.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
Monomorium sydneyense queen and workers in the nest.

Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia
A Prenolepis imparis winter ant gyne climbs a twig prior to her early spring mating flight.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
Monomorium sydneyense queen and workers in the nest.

Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. These Solenopsis molesta thief ant queens were collected after a midsummer mating flight and are now raising their first brood.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. This Solenopsis molesta thief ant queen was collected after her midsummer mating flight and placed in a standard test tube nest.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
Linepithema humile - Argentine ants (queen and worker)
A young Brachymyrmex queen tends to her first eggs.

Maquipucuna reserve, Napo, Ecuador
A young Brachymyrmex queen tends to her first eggs.

Maquipucuna reserve, Napo, Ecuador
Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. This Solenopsis molesta thief ant queen was collected after her midsummer mating flight and placed in a standard test tube nest.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. This Solenopsis molesta thief ant queen was collected after her midsummer mating flight and placed in a standard test tube nest.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
Myrmecologists often start new laboratory colonies from young mated queens. This Solenopsis molesta thief ant queen was collected after her midsummer mating flight and placed in a standard test tube nest.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013