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Factors determining which caste larvae will become!

Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 6:22 am
by Acromyrmexbob
From
Larval isolation and brood care in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants
J. F. S. Lopes, W. O. H. Hughes, R. S. Camargo and L. C. Forti
Received 8 November 2004; revised 31 March 2005; accepted 22 April 2005.
https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gatewa ... f&site=398


Extract:

Although caste destiny may be influenced
by genotype (Hughes et al., 2003), it is almost certainly also
dependent upon environmental factors. These include the
temperature larvae are reared at and the food they receive,
both of which are under the control of adult workers (Weber,
1972; Bollazi and Roces, 2002).

Re: Factors determining which caste larvae will become!

Posted: Tue May 01, 2018 3:58 pm
by Jackie62
This is interesting. I was musing today while checking our colony why I can no longer see majors guarding the front of the nest. Last week there were 4 huge majors at the front behind the glass, while next to them some larvae were being carted about. Today, they've gone. I have found dead majors in the water recently too. The majors were also on the ropes a while back, but I haven't seen them for a while now. Does the colony, being captive, no longer require the majors to protect them, so they're not being produced? The colony knows they are now quite safe behind glass....