Queen ant

Queen ants have two primary roles. Early in their lives, they are programmed to begin creating a new colony. After exiting her birth colony and mating, this young queen will find a new nest site and lay her initial group of eggs. Once those larvae have matured and can take care of her, the queen turns her focus to the next stage of her life: Becoming an egg-laying machine. Some queens can produce millions of eggs in a lifetime.

It should be noted that despite the royal title, the queen ant has no real authority over a colony. She does not direct other ants or make decisions for the colony. Instead, she – just like every other ant in the colony – is motivated by instinct and a general sense of how she can provide for the colony's needs. The only royal pampering she gets is that other ants will bring her food and keep her clean.