Yes, ants have gender, but their social structure is complex. Ant colonies typically consist of three castes: queens, males, and workers.
Ant Castes and Gender
- Queens: These are the only fertile females in the colony. They are responsible for laying all the eggs. Every ant colony has one or more queens.
- Males: Male ants develop from unfertilized eggs and their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. They do not participate in colony work. They lack a father and cannot have sons.
- Workers: These are all female ants, though they are sterile and cannot reproduce. They perform all the tasks necessary for colony survival, including foraging, caring for the young, and defending the nest. While workers have ovaries, they are usually small or underdeveloped compared to the queen's.
Some ant species exhibit unique reproductive strategies. For example, some species are queenless, with workers capable of reproduction (totipotent parthenogenetic workers). However, the fundamental presence of male and female ants remains consistent across most ant species.
The provided references consistently confirm the presence of distinct male and female castes within ant colonies, clarifying that worker ants are female, even though they are sterile. The queen's role as the sole fertile female is crucial to the colony's survival.
