A query from the inbox:
Hi, my question is regarding the gender of the worker ants (and the ant queen). As we all know; they are female, however was this discovered many centuries ago or is this a recent discovery?
I plead ignorance. I know apiculturists had figured out the sex of worker bees in by the late 1700s, and that by the 1800s it was widely accepted that ant workers were also female. But that’s the extent of my knowledge.
So I’m punting to my diligent readers. Do any of you know who first observed that ant workers are female?
Myrmecos Blog 
Here’s what John Mason Good had to say in 1825:
For the generative process which takes place in these last two kinds [n.b.: ants and bees] we are almost entirely indebted to the nice and persevering labours of the elder and the younger Hüber; who have decidely proved that what have hitherto been called neuters are females with undeveloped female organs.
I haven’t been able to track down the original reference yet but my money is on Pierre Hüber.
Friday Ark #231…
We’ll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and….? Visit all the …
That is a nice quote Neil.
I don’t know the answer, but I’ll bet some money that early naturalists, being careful observers, quickly ,and painfully, noticed that worker ants and bees have a sting, which is a definitive characteristic of both social and solitary females in the group.
The correspondence between the elements that constitute the sting and the ones in the typical insect ovipositor were probably known before the internal undeveloped female organs were dissected for confirmation in workers.
The number of segments in the antennae may have been another external clue. Male bees and ants typically have thirteen, while females have twelve or less depending on the species. However it is always the same number between queens and workers (I think).
I saw a work in antbase by Latreille in 1798 (http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/hymDB/taxon_catalog.list_publications_by_author?id=139)
he states that like in bees the ant workers apear to be females, and he gives some descriptions of the external sexual organs too. He also make some observations about the work of some author named De Geer who also worked with anatomy and made the same conclusions. So i think tha either Latreille or De Geer discovered that ant workers were females in the late 1700s
For many years now I’ve been trying to figure out who first discovered that pulmonate land snails were hermaphrodites. I recently found some hints that at least some naturalists already knew that in the late 1600s. So I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out that the discovery that all worker ants are females took place at about the same time.
Roberto — Solenopsis workers routinely have 10-segmented antennae, while queens of at least some species may have 11, or vary between 10 and 11. Similar situations may occur in other solenopisidines. (Maybe Acropyga, too???)
I knew evolution wasn’t going to let me down. 🙂
Thanks all, for the discussion.
Been enjoying your work. Very nice.
Chris
I originally got this question via AllExperts.com if my memory serves, and I referred the person here. Glad they came, and very glad so many knowledgeable folks responded. Thank you!
Solomon said in Proverbs 6:6-8, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” It was known even in 930 B.C. that worker ants were female!
God knew when he made them. That’s why he put it in his word
Oh please…
In Hebrew ant is grammatical feminine, this has no necessary relation to physical gender. English does not have grammatical gender.
So it is not necessarily true that anyone knew an ant was a female in 930 BC.