What are the three distinct castes of ants?

The correct choice identifies the distinct castes of ants as queen, worker, and mate. In ant societies, each caste has specific roles that contribute to the colony's survival and success.

The queen's primary role is reproduction; she is the fertile female responsible for laying eggs. Worker ants are non-reproductive females responsible for various tasks including foraging for food, caring for the queen's offspring, building and maintaining the nest, and defending the colony. The mate, typically male, exists mainly for the purpose of mating with the queen during the reproductive phase and does not participate in other colony roles.

This classification reflects the biological and functional diversity within an ant colony, which is essential for its functionality and longevity. The other suggested options do not accurately represent the recognized castes, as they mislabel or combine roles that do not align with the standard biological classification in the study of entomology.