Ant research. Labelled ant (Dinoponera quadriceps) on a hand. This ant is from Brazil. The Dinoponera ants are queenless ants from South America. Unlike other ant species, the reproduction is carried out by an alpha female worker who mates with a foreign male from outside the colony. Ants are social insects that display collective behaviour that results in complex nest structures and social organisation. Chemicals called pheromones are used to signal an ant's status and for communication. Photographed at the University of Paris, France.