Eusociality of the Insect World
A Look at the Organization of Ants, Bees, Wasps, Hornets and Termites
THE HIVE MIND
- An idea of shared conciosness/intelligence formed by a number of alien individuals, resulting in a sort of mind control effect
- It's called "science-fiction" for a reason
- Although, the idea itself is based directly from an idea called eusociality
Haven't I Heard of that Before?
Haven't I Heard of that Before?
- Ender's Game Formics
- Starcraft Zerg Swarm
- Star Trek Borg
- Alien Xenomorphs
- Pacific Rim Kaiju
Eusociality: What is it?
- Highest organization of animal sociality
- Defined by:
- Cooperative Brood Care
- Overlapping Generations with a colony of adults
- Divisions of labor within reproductive and non-reproductive individuals
- Castes: certain behavioral groups
Castes
These usually lose the abillity to perform different functions from other castes, specifically reproduction in many cases.
Terms such as "worker" and "soldier" classify the sterile population and the "queens" are the reporducting population.
Definitions for specific castes may include: altruistic behavior (Myrmecocystus mexicanus), social displays (Synoeca surinama), reproductive authority (in queens vs. workers), and even age (Scaptotrigona postica).
Eusocial Animals
Insects:
- Wasps
- Bees
- Mostly all forms of Ants
- Termites
- Aphids
Crustaceans:
- Three species of parasitic shrimp have a "fortress defense" mechanism
Mammals:
- Naked Mole-Rat
- Damaraland Mole-Rat
HUMANS ARE NOT EUSOCIAL
Insecta: Similarities
- Reproductive Queens
- Sterile Workers and Soldiers
- Phermones usually manage the eusociality
- May act across different species
- Apis andreniformus and Apis florea
- Sterile care for the reproductive members
Pheromones: The Chemical Workings
Numerous Phermone Types, But We'll Focus On:
- Alarm Phermones
- Releaser Phermones
- Primer Phermones
- Trail Phermones
- Sex Phermones (Breeding)
The Components and Impact
- Endocrine system releases chemicals into the blood to reach certain organ systems to produce reactions
- Production in glands
- Works through a phosphorylation cascade
- Triggers in the brain/nervous system for responses
- Allows for simple tasks to elecit complex answers
- Pheromones themselves are comprised of complex compounds and molecules
- Some are highly reactive and respond quicker while others are meant for long lasting and slower reactions
Non-Reproductive Phermones
Non-Reproductive Phermones
Alarm Pheromones:
- Activated for Flight or Fight
- Alert for incoming Predators or Prey
- Released as chemical signal and mobilizes nearby insects of the same species
Releaser Pheromones:
- Alteration in behavior
- Rapid response, quickly degrades
- Part of pheromone could be a powerful attractant molecule that can draw mates from miles away
Primer Pheromones:
- Alteration in developmental events
- Long durations
Trail Pheromones:
- Most used among ants
- Made of volatile hydrocarbons
- Trail is constantly renewed until source of food is depleted
- Polybia sericea, a species of wasp, uses a trail pheromone to guide others to potential nesting sites
Reproductive Phermones
- Many - if not all - insect species release these pheromones to search for potential mates
- Traps with these pheromones are used by farmers to moniter populations on their property
- In our case, a specific pheromone is used to run a reproductive "monopoly"
- Pheromones inhibit the reproduction of new queens
- Workers become sterile
- Both are products of a "queen substance" produced in the mandibular glands
- Specific male "drones" are selected to mate
Formicidae: Ants
- Various ways of sustaining a colony
- Trail pheromones and Sex pheromones are the key components of a succesful hive
- Defensive tactics range from biting and stinging to spraying acids
- Some species of ants raid other colonies and take slaves
- Symbiotic relationships
Apoidae: Bees
- European Honey Bee most famous
- Haplodiploid breeding system
- Pollination
- Waggle dancing
- Complex architecture within hives with mass provisioning
Apoidae: Bees
Vespidae: Wasps and Hornets
- Queens, male drones, and female workers in seasonal cycles
- Nests made of mud or chewed plant fibers
- Prey mastication and fed to larvae, producing a liquid with high amino acid content
- Paralyzing sting for hunting or laying eggs...
- Mimicry - hiding in plain site
- Various pheromones put into finding prey or predators as well as protecting nests
Isoptera: Termites
- Large, complex caste system
- Multiple queens and a king
- Workers feed the colony. Literally.
- Trophallaxis
- Reproduction is incredibly unique
- King and Queen mate for life
- All workers are diploid
- If a queen is missing, King will release a pheromone to replace the queen
- Monogamous, so competition does not occur
- Blind, so defense is entirely relient on chemical signals
Works Cited
Wilson, Edward O. (1971). "The Insect Societies". Cambridge. Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Hölldobler, Bert (20 September 2005). "Eusociality: Origin and Consequences"
Thorne, B. L. (1997). "Evolution of eusociality in termites". Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics.
Trivers, R. L.; Hare, H. (23 January 1976). "Haploidploidy and the Evolution of the Social Insect". Science.
Carpenter, J.M (1987). "Phylogenetic relationships and classification of the Vespinae (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)". Systematic Entomology.
Works Cited