Winged female alate / Virgin queen ant

Here is an unfertilized virgin queen ant, she has wings present and so is an alate flying ant.

These ants take to the skies to mate on a warm, humid summers day also known as the nuptial flight.

Once mated, they scurry along the ground to find a suitable nesting place to lay their eggs.

They clip their own wings and use them as a protein source to feed their new family.