worker worker behavior seen colonies social ants bees worker females eat remove eggs laid workers laid queen worker ensures offspring queen group certain species bees ants workers queen act aggressively fertile workers worker suggested form promote evolution behavior insect societies proposed mechanisms recognition worker laid eggs active reproductive workers include marker surface queen laid eggs cuticle reproductive workers recognition nest mates rare cases worker laid eggs carry queen escape condition known syndrome forms require presence queen occurs species ants establish dominance hierarchy reproductive female workers ranking individuals reproduce evolutionary basis social insect communities sex determined male develop eggs females develop eggs queens colony mate average queen shares half genes sons shares quarter genes sons fertile female workers queen best interests sons raised sons workers workers reproduce ants bees male offspring come eggs contrast worker shares half genes sons quarter brothers furthermore workers colonies single queen related higher related brothers results conflict queen worker females odds proportion male offspring contribute tries maximize reproductive fitness queens favor production sons workers favor production sons stop sisters laying favorable worker occurs worker bees colony genetically closely related queen reproductive female instances eggs female worker eaten repeatedly attacked workers mechanism egg removal ensures queen sons experiments confirming role selection worker demonstrate effects multiple lead lower average workers queens social wasp mate singly researchers study observed strong positive worker male production controlling absolute number eggs laid scientists conclude queen multiple favor mutual worker early theories worker focused selection component evidence honey bees suggests enforced fewer workers reproduce effectiveness rises effectiveness decreases increasing colonies queen suggests worker social imposed selfish individuals proposed mechanisms recognition mechanisms suggested egg discrimination worker include queen fertile worker recognition queen study carpenter found special surface queen laid eggs workers colony queen eggs egg laying groups queen laid eggs showed worker reproduction act signal alert workers halt reproduction generally authors concluded fertility signal unknown decision reproduction occurs minimum threshold fertility queen needed reduce worker reproduction fertile worker study cuticle applied reproductive workers colonies presence new reproductive workers triggered aggressive behavior rest colony new old reproductive workers specifically old reproductive workers marker antennae new females identifying rivals targets aggression recognition contrast species worker appears incorporate recognition addition queen workers displayed higher levels aggression non nest mates removed queen laid eggs queen contributor discrimination eggs examples social worker evolved social insect species following cases examples bees examples worker discovered honey bee worker prevalent honey bee colonies worker reproduction minimal species worker occurs egg eating colonies activation fertile females diminished suggesting laying eggs workers colonies asian honey bee reported engage analysis researchers concluded mature non queen colonies investigated workers activated capable laying eggs worker ensured functional fertile workers higher percentage female workers bee species reported activate queens removed workers activated subsequent days workers continued eat worker laid eggs suggesting mechanism species involve direct intervention queen observation species engage led researchers conclude worker genus worker occurs ants colonies workers eat eggs fertile female workers display aggressive behavior egg laying females colonies workers mate lay eggs remain lay eggs consumed display workers female reproductive workers biting limbs reported victims die treatment attacking workers drag workers outside colony workers lay male female eggs worker favored cost community large species display evidence researchers separated reunited workers colonies queens workers queen containing colonies attacked workers activated colonies tree wasp displays worker egg eating aggression reported wasp communities queen engages process similar behavior observed closely related species media colonies paper wasp workers lay quarter male eggs colony number eggs survived hatching minimal compared number produced queen analysis markers showed queens workers contributed worker queen laid eggs colonies common wasp engages worker known significant number workers active studies researchers suggested key factor development worker worker selected conflict suppression colony test worker researchers examined removal worker laid eggs wasp low testing conditions worker efficient appeared worker laid eggs previously thought reproductive control queen explaining females didn reproduce capable experiments foster showed workers instead regulating instead exhibiting worker worker capable colony efficient organized workers allow queen lay larvae engage worker times queen needed prevent females laying eggs aggressive behavior egg eating exceptions syndrome rarely female worker bees lay eggs escape worker process known syndrome female reproductive workers colonies activate presence queen worker eggs allowed mimic queen female workers maximize reproductive fitness expense colony syndrome example selection working opposite directions individual group levels selfish worker shown collective worker queen removed rank order reproduction appears ranking display aggression lower order female workers reductions egg laying created dominance individuals act benefit colony instead opting increase fitness laying eggs reducing contributions opponents type policy common despite related workers sons worker laid eggs consumed workers worker genetic conflict colonies workers equally related genetically worker expected genetic conflict expect severe effects condition colony reproductive workers left example time spent individual reproduction predicted care queen offspring studies ants workers actually display worker evidenced increased aggression reproductive workers worker favored group efficiency
Worker policing