These workers collect food and feed members of the colony, defend the colony, and enlarge the nest. Most of the ants in a colony are workers. Males - They have wings, and fly from the colony to mate with a queen. They die soon afterwards. The exoskeleton is made up of a material that is very similar to our fingernails.
Ants range in color from yellow to brown to red to black.
The worm-like larvae have no eyes and no legs, but can eat solid food. It later emerges as an adult. The entire life cycle usually lasts from 6 to 10 weeks, but some queens can live up to 15 years, and some workers can live for 7 years.