Conflict and conflict resolution have been argued to be fundamental to the major transitions
in evolution. These were key events in life's history in which previously independently living …

The traditional focus of physiological and functional genomic research is on molecular
processes that play out within a single multicellular organism. In the colonial (eusocial) …

The emergence of caste-differentiated colonies, which have been defined as
'superorganisms', in ants, bees, and wasps represents a major transition in evolution …

Insect social parasites are characterized by exploiting the hosts' social behaviour. Why
exactly hosts direct their caring behaviour towards these parasites and their offspring …

Queen pheromones have long been studied as a major factor regulating reproductive
division of labor in social insects. Hitherto, only a handful of queen pheromones were …

Insects maximize their fitness by exhibiting predictable and adaptive seasonal patterns in
response to changing environmental conditions. These seasonal patterns are often …

The origin of eusociality in the Hymenoptera is a question of major interest. Theory has
tended to focus on genetic relatedness, but ecology can be just as important a determinant …

Eusocial insect colonies are vulnerable to exploitation by egg‐laying workers arising either
as natal reproductive workers or as non‐natal reproductive 'drifting'workers (intraspecific …

In bumblebees, dominance behaviour contributes to the regulation of the reproductive
division of labour between queens and workers. Towards the end of the colony cycle, at the …

Colony sociobiology in social Hymenoptera is shaped by multiple factors including the
queen, colony size, worker demography, and other environmental and genetic factors. The …