REPRODUCTION WHAT IS THE GESTATIONAL PERIOD OF THE ANIMAL

Ants are holometabolous, which means that they undergo complete metamorphosis, going through an egg, larvae, pupae and adult stage. Eggs hatch after about 18 to 25 days, after which ants enter a larval stage for 14 to 25 days. Larvae are cared for and fed by adult workers. Larvae then spin cocoons and become pupae. After about 25 days, they emerge as adults. Eggs that hatch in the late summer spend the winter as larvae, typically for about 6 months.

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HOW MANY OFFSPRING DOES IT TYPICALLLY HAVE AT TIME?

From one queen (laying an average of 470 eggs / day), will incubate as many as 470 animals / day beginning on the 16th day, continuously until the ant queen is no longer productive or dead. (We can assume the ants hatched on the 16th day will die on the 63rd day, where the death rate is the same as the dyad number, then the total number of ants in a colony will still start on the 63rd day), that is:
470 tails x (63 - 16) hr = 22,090 tails

Consists of reproductive ants and nonreproductive ants

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HOW LONG DO THE OFFSPRING LIVE WITH THE PARENT?

Black carpenter ants live in large colonies in nests built within trees, dead logs or wooden buildings. Their nest population size is not known, but other ant species can have 1,000 to 100,000 individuals in a colony. Black carpenter ants have defined roles within their colony. A queen lays eggs and other workers tend to her. Smaller or minor workers tend to aphids and collect the sugary honeydew that they produce. Larger or major workers are more involved with maintaining the nest, expanding the nest by chewing wood and defending colony resources. Middle- to large-sized workers also care for the larvae. Males have short lifespans and do little more than find a mate. Winged females find mates and establish new colonies. These ants are mainly nocturnal and collect most of their food at night or right after sunset. They generally lay low and do not forage in mid-afternoon, the hottest part of the day. Ants stay in their nest during the winter and remain inactive while the temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius. Because they are built inside logs or tree trunks, their nests stay warm all year. Ants in laboratory colonies kept at a constant temperature throughout the year become sluggish during the winter, but they continue to forage.