Red ants do have wings, but this feature is temporary and limited to specific individuals within the colony. The species most commonly recognized as the “red ant” is the Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta, which requires this winged stage for its life cycle. These winged forms are not the sterile worker ants typically seen foraging, but are the reproductive members whose sole purpose is to leave the established nest. Observing these flying ants signals that a mature colony is preparing to expand its genetic reach.
The Ant Castes That Develop Wings
A red ant colony is structured by a system of castes, and only two of these groups are born with wings. The winged individuals are collectively known as alates, which is the biological term for the reproductive caste of an ant species. This group includes both the new potential queens and the males, who develop alongside the vast numbers of wingless worker ants. The familiar worker ants, which are sterile females, are the ones seen building the mound and searching for food.
The winged female alates are noticeably larger than the workers and are genetically capable of becoming colony founders. Male alates are generally smaller than the females, often have smaller heads, and are typically darker in color. Both sexes remain within the safety of the nest, cared for by the workers, until the environmental conditions are precisely right for their single flight. The wings serve as a temporary vessel, providing the necessary mobility for the next stage of their life cycle.
Why Red Ants Take to the Air
The presence of wings facilitates the nuptial flight, which is the only chance the ants have to mate. This mass exodus from the colony is a meticulously timed event triggered by specific environmental cues. The most common triggers include warm temperatures, typically between 70 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, paired with high humidity and low wind speeds. This combination is often achieved in the hours following a significant rainfall, which moistens the soil and reduces the risk of desiccation for the newly landed queens.
When the conditions align, thousands of alates from a single colony will emerge, ascending into the air to mate with reproductives from different colonies. This aerial dispersion is an adaptation that prevents inbreeding and ensures the genetic diversity of the species. The ants fly to considerable heights, sometimes hundreds of feet, allowing them to travel long distances on wind currents before pairing off. The mass release of alates is necessary because the vast majority will not survive the flight or the subsequent attempt to establish a new colony.
What Happens After the Mating Flight
The consequences of the nuptial flight are immediate and final for the male alates, whose short lifespan ends shortly after they have successfully mated. The newly fertilized female alates must quickly descend to the ground to begin their work as founders. Upon landing, the female deliberately sheds her wings in a process called de-alation, which signals her permanent transformation into a queen.
The queen then seeks out a secluded, protected location to establish her new home, often digging a small burrow in soft soil. She uses her powerful wing muscles, which are no longer needed for flight, as an internal food source to sustain her during the initial phase of colony founding. This energy allows her to lay a small cluster of first eggs without needing to forage for food, a period when she is most vulnerable to predators. The first generation of small worker ants will then emerge to assume the tasks of foraging and caring for the queen, allowing her to focus exclusively on reproduction for the rest of her long life.