What Is the Life Span of a Queen Ant?

While female worker ants and male ants in a colony have a life span of a few weeks to seven years, the queen ant, the colony's leader, can live for more than a decade.

  1. Significance

    • The queen's function in the colony is to reproduce. During her long life span, she breeds frequently and may birth millions of offspring.

    Types

    • The life span of queen ants can range from a few months for the urban Pharoah ant. The leafcutter ant queen has a 14-year life span.

    Identification

    • Queen ants can be identified by their wings, larger size and bodies that are thicker than other ants in the colony.

    Effects

    • Once the queen ant dies, the colony can only survive a few months unless there is a second queen in the colony.

    Fun Fact

    • A queen ant lived in captivity in Europe for 29 years.