Ant colonies are higher-level organisms consisting of specialized reproductive and non-
reproductive individuals that differentiate early in development, similar to germ–soma …

Most ant species have two distinct female castes—queens and workers—yet the
developmental and genetic mechanisms that produce these alternative phenotypes remain …

The common sand-dwelling Formica cinerea ants possess monomorphic workers, yet with
considerable and easily identified size variation. Considering the importance of body size in …

A main challenge in the analysis of division of labor in insect societies characterized by
worker polymorphism has been identifying the number of physical castes and determining …

Concerted developmental programming may constrain changes in component structures of
the brain, thus limiting the ability of selection to form an adaptive mosaic of size‐variable …

Juvenile hormone is considered to be a master regulator of polyphenism in social insects. In
the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, whether a female egg develops into a queen or a worker is …

Ant castes are an amazing example of phenotypic plasticity. In worker-destined embryos of
the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, the default female developmental trajectory is interrupted …

Natural history discoveries have contributed to broad applications in the fields of taxonomy,
ecology, evolution, and conservation of the species. Knowledge on the biology of species of …

Ant species often have multiple morphologically distinct 'castes' within a single colony. Given
that most of these castes are involved in non-reproductive tasks, and since such individuals …

What selective forces and molecular mechanisms govern the integration of worker body size
and morphology, brain architecture, and behavior in insect societies? Workers of the …