A young fire ant queen prepares for her mating flight. Brackenridge Field Laboratory, Austin, Texas, USA.
A newly-mated fire ant queen searches for a suitable place to start a colony. Brackenridge Field Lab, Austin, Texas, USA.
Inside a laboratory nest a young fire ant queen tends to her first eggs. In nature, the queen seals herself in an underground chamber and raises the first workers on her body reserves. Laboratory colony at the University of Central Florida, USA