Gadagkar, R (2022) The story of caste and nutrition in an Indian paper wasp: it all began with logistic regression analysis. In: Journal of the Indian Statistical Association, 60 (2). pp. 235-257.
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Abstract
Only one or few individuals reproduce in eusocial insects such as ants, bees and wasps. The remaining function as sterile individuals that work for their colony. Such caste differentiation in highly eusocial species such as ants and honeybees is pre-imaginal, i.e., it occurs when the individuals are larvae. In primitively eusocial species such as many wasps and bees, caste differentiation is believed to be post-imaginal, i.e., it occurs after the individuals have become adults. Using the method of logistic regression analysis, and in collaboration with Prof. Anil Gore, we have shown that although social regulation in the adult stage is essential, there is nevertheless a pre-imaginal caste bias in the primitively eusocial Indian paper wasp Ropalidia marginata. Wasps that are well-fed as larvae develop into adults that feed more as adults and have a high probability of becoming queens. Conversely, wasps that are poorly fed as larvae develop into adults that feed less as adults and have a high probability of becoming workers. Thus, by controlling adult nutrition, we have succeeded in making selected wasps more selfish, i.e., more likely to revert from worker to queen roles either by replacing their queens or by leaving to start their own new colonies.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Journal of the Indian Statistical Association |
| Publisher: | Indian Statistical Association |
| Department/Centre: | Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Jul 2024 09:25 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jul 2024 09:25 |
| URI: | http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/85235 |
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