Are male larvae different from workers larvae?

[antmadmike]

I found some larvae today under my slabs, they were small and all in a pile.
But the next slab I lifted had queen larvae and male,  that was the same size as the pile I found and put in my tank.
My ants have taken them into the nest. If they are male will they stay male, or can the workers make them into workers?

[Wood~Ant]

So that all novice ant keepers can understand my answer, I will make it very simple Mike. 

Ant egg  minus a sperm cell = infertile egg producing male larvae only.

Ant egg + a sperm cell = a fertilized egg which always produces female larvae. These include larvae which become queens, workers or soldier caste in all ant species.

While a queen larva may receive special care, extra food or even different temperatures to eventually produce a new queen, no amount of attention by the workers will change the outcome for the male larva to change their gender into female. 

While all ant larvae in a nest of a particular species start off looking exactly the same, their eventual change into an adult ant is decided in the egg stage; and depends on whether or not the queen has released a sperm cell into her egg at the time she lays it. Sperm storage in insects.

Only the change in size prior to entering the pupal stage will show if the ant is likely to be a queen, worker, major worker or soldier caste in some ant species; but most male larvae and pupae are the same size as that of the worker caste, so only when they eclose from their pupal skin or cocoon can you tell if they are male ants or workers. 

[Remson]

you learn something new everyday here

[Wood~Ant]

May 31, 2013 8:47:14 GMT Remson said:

you learn something new everyday here

Kind of you to say so, but we do try to offer easy to follow information and are always happy that we can teach members something new.  

[antmadmike]

will the male larvae be bad for my new queen?

[Zarbi]

Jun 2, 2013 19:43:15 GMT antmadmike said:

will the male larvae be bad for my new queen?

No, they will be killed later before the winter; but they just won't be workers, if indeed you have any male larvae, so don't worry about it.

[antmadmike]

thank you and I like your pic