Random male in 6 workers Camponotus Barbaricus colony

[UnrealSparks]

I have a small colony of Camponotus Barbaricus, with just 6 workers. The first five are all normal workers. But today, after checking their nest, I noticed a really weird ant with some tiny deformed wings on its back, a big and pointy abdomen and a big thorax (bigger than the head).

Could this possibly happen from time to time, even within small colonies due to non-fertilized eggs?

[AntsDakota]

I have a small colony of Camponotus Barbaricus, with just 6 workers. The first five are all normal workers. But today, after checking their nest, I noticed a really weird ant with some tiny deformed wings on its back, a big and pointy abdomen and a big thorax (bigger than the head).

Could this possibly happen from time to time, even within small colonies due to non-fertilized eggs?

That seems to be the only explanation at the time (unless one of the workers somehow managed to lay a male egg and raise it in like a couple days).

[UnrealSparks]

(unless one of the workers somehow managed to lay a male egg and raise it in like a couple days).

Yeah, I guess that could also be a possibility. Even though I thought only colonies with gamergates could do that.
Anyway, today another normal worker has hatched and everything seems to be alright.

[WillWithAnts]

Woah! That is crazy!

[JoeHostile1]

My 1 year old Myrmica Rubra colony produced about 10 males in a row last year. She only had about 20 workers at the time. Then she returned to making female workers. The males got attacked and dragged out of the nest by the workers. After a couple weeks they all died out in the outworld.