 Queens lay around eight eggs , but less than half of these eggs fully develop . Some species , such as M. simillima and M. gulosa lay their eggs singly on the colony floor , while M. pilosula ants may lay eggs in a clump . These clumps have around two to 30 eggs each with no larvae present . With this said , certain Myrmecia species do not lay their eggs singly and will form clumps of eggs instead . The larvae are capable of crawling short distances without the assistance from adult workers , and workers will cover the larvae in dirt to help them spin into a cocoon . If cocoons are isolated from a colony , they are capable of shedding their skin before hatching , allowing themselves to advance to full pigmentation . Sometimes , a newborn can emerge from their pupa without the assistance of other ants . Once these ants are born , they are able to identify distinct tasks , a well known primitive trait . Myrmecia life spans vary in each species , but their longevity is greater than many ant genera : M. nigrocincta and M. pilosula have a life span of one year , while M. nigriceps workers can live up to 2 @.@ 2 years . The oldest recorded worker was a M. vindex , living up to 2 @.@ 6 years . If a colony is deprived of workers , queens are able to revert to colony @-@ founding behaviours until there is a sustainable workforce . A colony may also emigrate to a new nesting spot altogether . 
