A synchronized mating event in which winged, sexually mature male and female ants from many colonies of the same species take to the air simultaneously, typically triggered by a specific combination of temperature, humidity and time after rain, to mate on the wing before the newly mated queens land, shed their wings, and attempt to found new colonies. The mass, synchronized timing across an entire region increases the odds that a queen mates with a male from a different colony and helps swamp predators that gather to feed on the sudden abundance of flying ants.
Facts
PeriodicitySeasonal, with winged queens and males released by a mature colony 1 ScaleA very large colony can send out millions of virgin queens in its lifetime 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceWinged virgin queens and males (alates); flight swarms large enough to show on weather radar like rain showers 1 Sources
1. Nuptial flight, Wikipedia
Opening section
A mature ant colony seasonally produces winged virgin queens and males, called alates.
Scale passage
During its lifetime a very large ant colony can send out millions of virgin queens.
Flying ant day section
the number of ants flying on certain days can be large enough to be detected by weather service radar systems, resembling rain showers.
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