Mating Harvester Ants on the Arizona/New Mexico Border (IMAGE)

University of Vermont

Mating Harvester Ants on the Arizona/New Mexico Border

Caption

The red queen in the middle is mating with the upside-down male on the right. Their copulatory organs are locked in place, so the male can completely let go of the queen with his legs and still be firmly attached. The ant on the left is a competitor male trying to get in on the action.

Credit

Michael Herrmann and Sara Helms Cahan

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