She has no wings and produces vast quantities of eggs, which are cared for by other members of the colony. Every 30-40 days or so, the colony gathers in a large swarm. The queen then lays up to as many as 30,000 or more eggs in two days. The majority of the 80,000 or so army ants in an average-sized colony are sterile females. These ants are generally either workers or soldiers.
Soldiers are about twice the size of workers, with enlarged heads and jaws.
They mainly hunt on the forest floor, killing other insects, small lizards, and small mammals, but they will also climb trees, killing tree insects, baby birds in their nests, etc. Because the ants move relatively slowly, most large or fast-moving animals are able to escape them. 1998 Passport to Knowledge. All Rights Reserved.