 Nothing is known about its reproduction or nuptial flight . Collectors note that no alates or pupae resembling alate forms were found in excavated colonies between August and February , and the larvae collected were not large enough to be reproductive ants . However , it is possible that nuptial flight takes place in spring or summer , and like N. albisetosus and <unk> , alates most likely start to occur by June . After nuptial flight , queens search for a suitable colony by building a chamber under objects such as stones and exposed roots of woody plants . This theory stated by entomologist Paul <unk> is supported by the fact that these ants depend on stones buried in the soil for nest construction . The larvae and pupae are unsorted in the upper chambers of the nest that are joined together by hooked hairs on the side of the larvae . This arrangement most likely helps workers move the brood efficiently and keep them together in a group . <unk> colonies may only have 30 workers and brood in all life stages . Unlike the larvae and pupae , the eggs and queen are not found in the uppermost galleries , but rather they are found in the deepest chambers of the nest . In large nests , small workers resembling the first generation of brood are either rare or absent . 
