Why do some ants have wings and others don ?
the reproductive ants have wings. This is unmated queens and males but not workers (who are all female). They have a nuptial flight, usually based on the weather and time of the year. So the winged ants of many nests have their mating flight at the same time which facilities outbreeding and therefore genetic diversity. The males die after mating, whereas the mated females rub off their wings and try to found a nest of which she will be the queen.