Ants have chewing mouthparts, heavy mandibles suitable for biting, cutting and gnawing. She nourishes the first brood through the larval stage. The larvae are translucent white, soft-bodied and legless. Larvae pass through several growth stages before pupation and adulthood. Worker ants feed the queen, fight off enemies, construct a maze of tunnels, and care for the young.
Most ant species have only one queen per nest.
She lays the eggs, maintaining or increasing the colony size. When the colony has matured, a special brood of males and females is reared to establish new colonies. These winged adults are often mistaken for swarming termites. Termite Ants are distinguished from termites by a narrow waist and bent or elbowed antennae. Termites have a broad waist and straight bead like antennae.