The research focused on Lasius neglectus, a species of garden ant. Unlike adult workers, which can leave the nest to die when they are gravely ill, young pupae are immobile and remain sealed in ...

Phenotypic plasticity is important in adaptation and shapes the evolution of organisms. However, we understand little about what aspects of the genome are important in facilitating plasticity.

Eusocial insects represent one of nature’s most sophisticated social systems, in which chemical communication forms the backbone of colony cohesion and regulation. Chemical signals, including ...

The transcription factor can also drive the opposite transition depending on which hormone activates it, according to a new study. Social insects kill infected individuals for the benefit of the ...

How did huge, complex insect societies evolve from solitary ancestors? This was the case with termites and ants, which have the same eusocial lifestyle, including for instance a complex system of ...

Ant colonies with a higher degree of genetic diversity thrive better than those that consist of individuals with more similar genetic backgrounds. This is the conclusion of an experimental study in ...

What worker bees do depends on how old they are. A worker a few days old will become a nurse bee that devotes herself to feeding larvae (brood), secreting beeswax to seal the cells that contain brood ...