Alate

An alate is a winged ant. Workers never have wings, but once a colony is big and healthy enough, it starts raising virgin queens and males with wings. Their only job is to reproduce, and they wait inside the nest until the weather is just right for the nuptial flight.

When that day comes, the alates pour out of the nest, climb onto grass, walls or stones and take off. They mate in the air or on the ground, and then their paths split: the males usually die shortly after, while each freshly mated queen lands, gets rid of her wings and goes looking for a place to start her own colony.

Telling queens and males apart is easy once you know what to look for. In a species like Messor barbarus, the queen is much bigger, with a large thorax and a voluminous gaster, while the males are smaller, with big eyes and a small head.

In practice

• If you see alates in your own colony, it means it has reached maturity. That's a great sign, but they can't found a new colony inside your setup.
• Alates kept in a captive colony will eventually die without mating, so don't worry if you find them dead in the outworld.
• When hunting for queens, look for winged females on the ground just after a swarm, or for queens that have already dropped their wings.
• Make sure your escape prevention is in good shape when alates are around: they can climb surprisingly well, and some will try to fly.