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Flying Ant Swarms Sweep Buenos Aires Metro During Seasonal Mating Flight

Specialists say humid, low-pressure weather triggered a brief nuptial flight that poses no health risk.

Overview

  • Residents across CABA and the conurbano reported dense clusters of winged ants on balconies, patios, roofs and near lights, with videos and photos spreading widely on social media.
  • Sightings were concentrated in Palermo, Villa Urquiza, Belgrano, Villa Crespo and Villa Luro, with similar reports from Lomas de Zamora, La Matanza and Ezeiza.
  • The surge became visible from Tuesday afternoon and continued into Wednesday across multiple neighborhoods.
  • Entomologists explain that this is the annual nuptial flight when reproductives leave colonies to mate in the air.
  • After mating, males die and fertilized females shed their wings to found new colonies, which accounts for the many dead insects and discarded wings seen outdoors.