 Virgin queens and males appear in colonies during January , before their nuptial flight . 20 females or fewer are found in a single colony , while males are much more common . The nuptial flight begins at different times for each species ; they have been recorded in mid @-@ summer to autumn ( January to early April ) , but there is one case of a nuptial flight occurring from May to July . Ideal conditions for nuptial flight are hot stormy days with windspeeds of 30 km / h ( 18 mi / h ) and temperatures reaching 30 ° C ( 86 ° F ) , and elevations of 91 metres ( 300 ft ) . Nuptial flights are rarely recorded due to queens leaving their nest singly , although as many as four queens may leave the nest at the same time . Species are both polygynous and polyandrous , with queens mating with one to ten males . Polygynous and polyandrous societies can occur in a single nest , but particular species are either primarily polygynous or primarily polyandrous . For example , nearly 80 % of tested M. pilosula colonies are polygynous while M. pyriformis colonies are mostly polyandrous . Nuptial flight takes place during the morning and can last until late afternoon . When the alates leave the nest , most species launch themselves into the air from trees and shrubs , although others launch themselves off the ground . Queens discharge a glandular secretion from the tergal gland , which males are strongly attracted to . As many as 1 @,@ 000 alates will gather to mate . A queen was once found to have five or six males attempting to copulate with her . The queen is unable to bear the weight of the large number of males trying to mate with her , and will drop to the ground , with the ants dispersing later on . M. pulchra queens are ergatoid and cannot fly ; the males meet the queen out in an open area away from the nest and mate , and these queens do not return to their nest after mating . 
