Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
(d)
(c)
(f)
(e)
Fig. 13.1
Eusocial species exhibit considerable variation within species between the
different castes. (a) Castes of the carpenter ant,
Camponotus discolor
: male (left), queen
(right) and worker (bottom). Photo © Alex Wild. (b) The three female castes of the
leafcutter ant
Acromyrmex echinatior
on their fungus garden - a small worker (garden
maintenance and brood nursing), large worker (foraging and defence) and winged
virgin queen (who will disperse and mate during a nuptial flight, before shedding her
wings and founding a new colony. Photo © David Nash. (c) A queen of the termite
Macrotermes bellicosus
, in her royal chamber, with the king and numerous members of
two worker castes (major and minor). Photo © Judith Korb. (d)
Pheidologeton affinis
marauder ants have one of the most pronounced size differences among workers. This
photograph shows a supermajor worker and several minor workers. Photo © Alex Wild.
(e) In the social aphid
Colophina arma
, females develop into either soldiers (left) or
reproductives (right). Photo © Harunobu Shibao. (f) In the eusocial Australia gall thrips,
Kladothrips morrisi
, a female (right) founds the gall, and some of her offspring develop
into soldiers (left) that defend the gall from invaders. Photo © Laurence Mound.
