Queen and worker. Notice that the queen has a larger, more complex thorax. She begins her adult life with wings for dispersal, so she bears all the sclerites and musculature associated with flight. The flightless workers have a simpler anatomy. Venezuela
Lasius (Acanthomyops) claviger is a nest-founding parasite. Following this young queen's mating flight, she will attempt to enter the nest of a Lasius species, kill the resident queen, and coopt the Lasius worker force to raise out her own offspring. South Bristol, New York, USA
A young meat ant queen searches for a place to start a nest. Little Desert National Park, Victoria, Australia
