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The nuptial flight is a dramatic spectacle—a frenzied nuptial party in the skies where multiple male ants swarm, seeking to mate. During this chaotic event, the queen has only one goal: to gather enough sperm for a lifetime of reproduction. Males resembling flying vessels of sperm hurry to fulfill their biological duty, urging the queen to engage with them mid-flight.
Each mating interaction contributes to a remarkable store of sperm—about 250 million sperm cells that she cleverly stashes away in a specialized organ. However, survival comes at a cost: immediately after mating, the queen discards her once-prized wings, using them for nutrition as she prepares to build her new life.