{"id":3536,"date":"2023-07-16T17:10:13","date_gmt":"2023-07-16T09:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=3536"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:10:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:10:28","slug":"how-are-ants-born","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/","title":{"rendered":"How Are Ants Born?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Ants are oviparous. They are all born through eggs which hatch into larvae. Depending on several factors, these larvae may develop into queens, workers, or drones.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article we\u2019ll learn more about these factors and how ants are born as we discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>How are female ants born?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How are male ants born?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll also look into ant reproduction and life cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-are-ants-born-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"how are ants born\" class=\"wp-image-3539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-are-ants-born-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-are-ants-born-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-are-ants-born-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/how-are-ants-born.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#How_are_Female_Ants_Born\" title=\"How are Female Ants Born?\">How are Female Ants Born?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#How_are_Queen_Ants_Born\" title=\"How are Queen Ants Born?\">How are Queen Ants Born?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#Minor_vs_Major_Workers\" title=\"Minor vs Major Workers\">Minor vs Major Workers<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#How_are_Male_Ants_Born\" title=\"How are Male Ants Born?\">How are Male Ants Born?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#Ant_Reproduction_How_Do_Ants_Reproduce\" title=\"Ant Reproduction: How Do Ants Reproduce?\">Ant Reproduction: How Do Ants Reproduce?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#The_Ant_Life_Cycle\" title=\"The Ant Life Cycle\">The Ant Life Cycle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#Related_Questions\" title=\"Related Questions\">Related Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#What_is_Haplodiploidy\" title=\"What is Haplodiploidy?\">What is Haplodiploidy?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#Can_Worker_Ants_Give_Birth\" title=\"Can Worker Ants Give Birth?\">Can Worker Ants Give Birth?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#How_Long_Do_Ants_Live\" title=\"How Long Do Ants Live?\">How Long Do Ants Live?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-are-ants-born\/#Summary_How_Are_Ants_Born\" title=\"Summary: How Are Ants Born?\">Summary: How Are Ants Born?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_are_Female_Ants_Born\"><\/span>How are Female Ants Born?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants follow haplodiploid sex determination. This a characteristic in hymenopterans wherein <strong>female ants are born from fertilized eggs<\/strong>. They are diploid or have 2 sets of chromosomes from their male and female parents. [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Haplodiploidy\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Haplodiploidy\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_are_Queen_Ants_Born\"><\/span>How are Queen Ants Born?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-happens-when-the-queen-ant-dies-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"what happens when the queen ant dies\" class=\"wp-image-2523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-happens-when-the-queen-ant-dies-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-happens-when-the-queen-ant-dies-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-happens-when-the-queen-ant-dies-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-happens-when-the-queen-ant-dies.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ant_Queen_-_Flickr_-_treegrow_(1).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Queen ants come from the same fertilized eggs as workers. However, it\u2019s not clear how they&#8217;re differentiated from the non-reproductive caste.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike bees, ants don&#8217;t have an equivalent to royal jelly. Meaning, ant queens aren&#8217;t simply made through varied nutrition. Instead, research suggests they\u2019re produced through a <strong>combination of diet and genetics<\/strong>. In other words, it\u2019s a matter of both nature and nurture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ant larvae that turn into queens, for instance, are <strong>fed more than the others<\/strong>. Queens are fed a high-quality diet that includes proteins and fats. This diet allows queen ants to grow larger and develop differently during metamorphosis. It gives them the ability to lay eggs and maintain the colony&#8217;s population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, having more food simply isn\u2019t enough. The pupae that turn into queen ants need to have a <strong>highly expressed Insulin-like peptide 2 (ILP2) gene<\/strong>. This gene allows them to absorb more nutrients and make use of better nourishment. [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aar5723\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.aar5723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/what-do-queen-ants-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2513\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">queen ants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Minor_vs_Major_Workers\"><\/span>Minor vs Major Workers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-worker-ants-do-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-worker-ants-do-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-worker-ants-do-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-worker-ants-do-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-worker-ants-do-2-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Florida_harvester_ants_(Pogonomyrmex_badius)_major_worker_and_minor_worker,_both_female.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Some ant species have dimorphic workers. This means that they have workers that vary in size and function. They\u2019re called either minor or major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to queens, these differences vary based on diet. Workers that turn into the larger <strong>majors are fed more<\/strong> in their early stages of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/what-do-worker-ants-do\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2509\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">worker ants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_are_Male_Ants_Born\"><\/span>How are Male Ants Born?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-male-ants-do-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"what do male ants do\" class=\"wp-image-2507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-male-ants-do-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-male-ants-do-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-male-ants-do-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/what-do-male-ants-do.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Carpenter_Ant_Male_-_Flickr_-_treegrow.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Katja Schulz from Washington, D. C., USA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Males, on the other hand, are born through <strong>unfertilized eggs<\/strong>. They\u2019re called haploid and only have 1 set of chromosomes. Queens ants can produce males without having to copulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lifespan of a drone ant is relatively short, usually only a few weeks. Their sole purpose is to mate with queen ants to establish new colonies. Drone ants do not participate in tasks such as foraging for food or caring for the young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ant_Reproduction_How_Do_Ants_Reproduce\"><\/span>Ant Reproduction: How Do Ants Reproduce?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the species, ants can either reproduce <strong>sexually or asexually<\/strong>. Sexual reproduction in ants involves the mating of queens and drones. This usually occurs through swarming or budding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asexual reproduction, on the other hand, occurs through parthenogenesis. This method of reproduction allows ants to create female offspring without fertilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article for a deeper dive into <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-reproduce\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2389\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ant reproduction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Ant_Life_Cycle\"><\/span>The Ant Life Cycle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"Do Ants Molt\" class=\"wp-image-2406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Do-Ants-Molt.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:CSIRO_ScienceImage_1651_Ant_species_Onychomyrmex_with_larvae.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CSIRO<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 3.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants undergo <strong>complete metamorphosis<\/strong>. Their life cycle consists of 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The table below highlights the main features of the ant life cycle, from the egg stage to the adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Stage<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Description<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Egg<\/td><td>Tiny, oval-shaped, transparent, and white in color<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Larva<\/td><td>Several molts, hair starts growing<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pupa<\/td><td>Physical features may start to appear, undergoes further molting<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Adult<\/td><td>Hatches out of the eggs after about 4 weeks of development in the pupal stage<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, all ants start out as eggs. These eggs then hatch into larvae, the second stage of the ant life cycle. During this stage ants take the form of worm-like creatures that do nothing but eat. As they develop and grow larger, they undergo molting to accommodate the changes. Eventually, they grow large enough and turn into pupae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike the larval stage that\u2019s characterized by constant eating, the pupal stage is one of rest. It\u2019s a period of slow development wherein adult features like eyes, legs, and wings start to appear.\u00a0 During this stage, ants look more like adults but with folded legs and antennae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After several weeks in the pupal stage, they finally emerge as the adults we\u2019re familiar with.<strong> <\/strong>Most of them become workers, while some become reproductive queens and drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The whole process can last between <strong>6 to 10 weeks<\/strong> depending on the species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Questions\"><\/span>Related Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/how-do-ants-reproduce-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"how do ants reproduce\" class=\"wp-image-2391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/how-do-ants-reproduce-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/how-do-ants-reproduce-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/how-do-ants-reproduce-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/how-do-ants-reproduce.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:..._ant_--_queen_weaver_ant_(6185121219).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Dinesh Valke from Thane, India<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Haplodiploidy\"><\/span>What is Haplodiploidy?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Haplodiploidy is a <strong>sex-determination system found in social insects like ants<\/strong>. It&#8217;s a system wherein males develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid. On the other hand, females develop from fertilized eggs and are diploid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Worker_Ants_Give_Birth\"><\/span>Can Worker Ants Give Birth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In most species, worker ants aren\u2019t capable of giving birth. However, there are some cases wherein worker ants take on the reproductive burden. <strong>Workers called gamergate ants<\/strong> are capable of mating and reproducing sexually. Some workers can also clone themselves through asexual reproduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Long_Do_Ants_Live\"><\/span>How Long Do Ants Live?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants can live for a varying amount of time depending on several factors. Some ants can live a<strong> few weeks while some last decades<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about these factors and the <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-long-do-ants-live\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3516\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lifespan of ants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_How_Are_Ants_Born\"><\/span>Summary: How Are Ants Born?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All ants are born from eggs produced through either sexual or asexual reproduction. These eggs through haplodiploidy can hatch into male or female ants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After hatching, they then enter the larval and pupal stages of development. During these stages, nature and nurture play a role in determining the type of adult an ant turns into. Depending on genetics and nourishment an ant may become a queen, worker, or drone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ants are oviparous. They are all born through eggs which hatch into larvae. Depending on several factors, these larvae may develop into queens, workers, or drones. In this article we\u2019ll learn more about these factors and how ants are born as we discuss the following: We\u2019ll also look into ant reproduction and life cycle. How&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3536"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3685,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536\/revisions\/3685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}