The "Ant Queen" is the reproductive female in an ant colony, responsible for laying eggs. She is typically larger than the worker ants and can live for many years, sometimes even decades. The queen's primary role is to ensure the survival and growth of the colony by producing a large number of offspring. In most species, the queen mates only once during her life, storing sperm to fertilize her eggs over time. The worker ants, which are sterile females, take care of the queen, the eggs, and the overall maintenance of the colony, allowing the queen to focus solely on reproduction.