The effect of worker loss on temporal caste structure in colonies of the honeybee ( Apis mellifera L.).

Abstract

Workers began foraging at younger ages and had shorter life-spans in colonies from which a majority of the worker population had been removed than in control colonies. This simulated loss in worker population was similar to naturally occurring events in feral colonies such as predation, swarming, nest damage, and (or) disease. Foraging age was negatively correlated with area of eggs and larvae and was not correlated with pupal area. Honeybee colonies thus can adjust temporal caste structure in response to rapid changes in colony conditions such as worker loss. The flexibility in temporal division of labor may be based on the inactive workers increasing their activity levels following stress by compressing the normal ontogeny of worker activities into a shorter time span.-from Authors