Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate_(ant)

From the wikipedia page:

A gamergate (/ˈɡæmərˌɡeɪt/ GAM-ər-gayt) is a mated worker ant that can reproduce sexually, i.e., lay fertilized eggs that will develop as females. In the vast majority of ant species, workers are sterile and gamergates are restricted to taxa where the workers have a functional sperm reservoir ('spermatheca'). In some species, gamergates reproduce in addition to winged queens (usually upon the death of the original foundress), while in other species the queen caste has been completely replaced by gamergates. In gamergate species, all workers in a colony have similar reproductive potentials, but as a result of physical interactions, a dominance hierarchy is formed and only one or a few top-ranking workers can mate (usually with foreign males) and produce eggs. Subsequently, however, aggression is no longer needed as gamergates secrete chemical signals that inform the other workers of their reproductive status in the colony.

Depending on the species, there can be one gamergate per colony (monogyny) or several gamergates (polygyny). Most gamergate species have colonies with a few hundred or fewer workers.

Gamergate derives from the Greek words γάμος (gámos) and ἐργάτης (ergátēs) and means 'married worker'. It was coined in 1983

So like the opposite of its 2014 meaning.

But that's pretty cool. SimAnt taught me only queens lay eggs, so hearing about colonies where the queen caste has been replaced is a pretty fascinating TIL.

Yeah, it was a very funny discovery so I had to share!

With how many ant species there are, you can pretty much always find at least one that breaks the 'rules' of how ants are. 🙃

I know how it should be pronounced but my eyes read "gamer" and my brain stops working.