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In Science / Senior High School | 2025-04-17

why do male ant mate they will die but why not termites queen and king

Asked by maryilovemykids

Answer (2)

Why do male ant mate they will die but why not termites queen and king?Male ants are designed to mate only once before dying.The termite king and queen continue to live in order to establish and expand the colony.Male ants are primarily born to mate once, during a unique occasion known as a nuptial flight. They simply die soon after mating with a queen; that's the way their life cycle operates. Due to exhaustion, a lack of food-gathering abilities, or the fact that their biological function in reproduction is fulfilled, they frequently pass away soon after mating. After their reproductive function, consider them disposable.On the other hand, both the king and queen termites have significantly longer lifespans. They remain together in the nest after mating. The king assists with colony maintenance, and the queen continues to lay eggs. They are both needed long-term, so they don’t die after mating. Because their long-term survival is crucial to the colony's success, they are also fed well and given protection within it. After a single mating event, they cannot be replaced.

Answered by KizooTheMod | 2025-04-17

Male Ants: Mating and DeathIn most ant species:Males are born just to mate. They don’t do much else — no foraging, no nest defense.They fly out during a nuptial flight, mate with queens in the air, and then die shortly after.Their only evolutionary job is to pass on genes. Once they’ve done that, nature doesn’t “need” them anymore.So, in a way, they’re disposable in the colony’s big-picture strategy. Termite Kings and Queens: A Long-Term DealIn contrast, termite kings:Stay with the queen after mating.Help start the colony, often with tasks like grooming or feeding early larvae.Live for years, sometimes alongside the queen for the colony’s whole lifespan.And the queen?Becomes a massive egg-laying machine, producing thousands of offspring.Needs the king for long-term success — some species even need repeated mating for sustained fertility.So in termites, the king sticks around because he’s still useful to the queen and the colony.

Answered by sword4000zaneroldan | 2025-04-17