. Principles of modern biology. Biology. True social colonies of considerable com- plexity have been developed by all termites and ants, and many bees and wasps. In a termite colony (Fig. 32-32) one large female, the queen, may live for several years, produc- ing more than 5000 eggs each day. Meanwhile she is housed in a protected nest, under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity; fed by specialized, nonfertile workers; guarded by soldiers; and kept fertile by the king, a nonworking perfect male. Moreover, problems of food supply are han- dled on a cooperative community basis. The
. Principles of modern biology. Biology. True social colonies of considerable com- plexity have been developed by all termites and ants, and many bees and wasps. In a termite colony (Fig. 32-32) one large female, the queen, may live for several years, produc- ing more than 5000 eggs each day. Meanwhile she is housed in a protected nest, under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity; fed by specialized, nonfertile workers; guarded by soldiers; and kept fertile by the king, a nonworking perfect male. Moreover, problems of food supply are han- dled on a cooperative community basis. The workers continually collect pollen, and other food and bring it to the nest. The pastoral ants keep domesticated aphids ("ant-cows") from which they derive "milk" The Animal Kingdom - 659 in the form of the honeydew secretions of the aphids; and "farmer ants" (Attn) culti- vate crops of a selected species of fungus. When another colony is to be established, the new queen transports fungal spores for the planting of a new crop in a special pouch- like outgrowth of her mouth. A domestic honeybee colony houses only one queen (diploid fertile female), a hun- dred or so drones (haploid fertile males) and thousands of workers (diploid sterile fe- males). After mating, a queen may lay eggs that are either fertilized or unfertilized. Hap- loid male drones arise from the unfertilized eggs; but diploid females of various kinds can come from the fertilized eggs. A young female larva, fed for about six days on a. ^^mct m^fks^&R Fig. 32-32. Royal cell of a termite colony. The queen, surrounded by workers, occupies the large central cham- ber. Note the king beside the left end of queen. Also note a soldier with "squirt gun" head (right, middle). The chambers and galleries of the nest are constructed of wood particles, cemented together. The winged indi- vidual (lower right) is ready to swarm, at which time males and females look alike. The large wh
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionbiodiversity, booksubjectbiology
