A gamergate (pronounced /ˈɡæmərˌɡeɪt/) is a reproductively viable female worker ant that is able to reproduce with mature males when the colony is lacking a queen. Most commonly occurring within colonies of the primitive species of the poneromorph subfamilies, gamergate females differ from their fellow workers by a combination of elevated fecundity and aggression-related mutilation of competitors' secondary sexual characteristics. Subsequent to their first mating event, however, aggression is no longer needed as females secrete chemical signals that lead the workers to accept their role as reproducers for the colony.
Gamergates exist in colonies with winged and ergatoid queens as well as singly in monogynous colonies and alongside other reproductively viable gamergates in polygynous colonies. Most gamergate species are solitary generalist foragers living in arid environments.
