Solenopsis sp., a male thief ant prepares to depart on a nighttime mating flight. Tucson, Arizona, USA

A Trachymyrmex septentrionalis male ascends a leaf to embark on an afternoon mating flight in the Florida sand scrub. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

Mycetarotes male. His relatively long antennae and large eyes help locate queens during mating flights outside the nest. Winged males and queens serve as a reminder of the wasp ancestry of ants. Parque Nacional Iguazu, Argentina; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas