WEDDING FLIGHT

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30278, 2 November 1963, Page 8

WEDDING FLIGHT

Ants’ Mass Marriage

Only once in their lifetime do ants take to the air—for their brief marriage flight. Commenting in a recent 8.8. C. broadcast on this mystery of nature, naturalist and broadcaster, Eric Roberts, explained that after this aerial mating, the males died, and the queens returned to earth, stripped their bridal wings, and disappeared below ground for the rest of their lives. They could live for as long as 15 years, and lay eggs during the whole of that time.

“One of the mysteries about these marriage flights, is how cleverly they are timed to take place at exactly the same hour on the same day,” said Mr Roberts. “In order to ensure mixing up the families, the brides and grooms from a number of different colonies must contrive to be in the air at the same time, and it is the workers who hold the eager ants back and decide precisely the right moment for the ‘off.’ “These workers are the ants that do everything from looking after the young to constructing the nest itself, and in some uncanny way they know exactly when these flights should be launched. “Whether the workers actually pat the yourag couples on the back and wish them good luck, I would not like to say—but that would not surprise me either.”