Part 4/8:
As the queen burrows into the ground, sealing herself off from the outside world, she begins her transformation from a free-flying princess to a solitary mother. This underground chamber becomes her sanctuary, where the queen dedicates herself to laying her first batch of eggs, which will mature into worker ants—the lifeblood of her colony.
During this period of confinement, she needs to rely on her body’s fat reserves, as there’s no leaving the chamber for food. The discarded wings become fertilizer, further showcasing nature’s resourcefulness. As the eggs hatch and grow into tiny, fragile larvae, she performs an extraordinary act, laying special eggs to feed them, emphasizing the harsh realities of maternal sacrifice in the ant world.