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. 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
A key innovation in ant evolution is the metapleural gland, seen here as a pair of openings in the body just above the hind legs. The gland is present in nearly all ants and is thought to play an antibiotic role. (Anochetus faurei, South Africa).
