Ant colony Ant colony An ant colony is the basic unit around which ants organize their lifecycle. Ant colonies are eusocial, and are very much like those found in other social Hymenoptera, though the various groups of these developed sociality independently through convergent evolution. The typical colony consists of one or more egg-laying queens, a large number of sterile females (workers, soldiers) and, seasonally, a large number of winged sexual males and females. In order to establish new colonies, ants undertake nuptial flights that occur at species-characteristic times of the day. Swarms of the winged sexuals (known as alates) depart the nest
Myrmecia (ant) If a nest is disturbed, a large force of workers rapidly swarms out of their nest to attack and kill the intruder. Some species, particularly those of the "M. nigrocincta" and "M. pilosula" species groups, are capable of jumping several inches when they are agitated after their nest has been disturbed; jumper ants propel their jumps by a sudden extension of their middle and hind legs. "M. pyriformis" is considered the most dangerous ant in the world by the "Guinness World Records". "M. inquilina" is the only species of this genus that is considered vulnerable by the IUCN, although the