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| Solitary bee (Megachile) and social bee (Apis) |
Among the insect order Hymenoptera there are many species that live
independently, but there are also many others who
live together in societies. Social life has
evolved several times, both among ants (all of which are social) and between
bees and wasps, many of which live alone. This fact should be explained: why is
social life so prevalent among these insects, and how could it have evolved? In
other words, did it provide any evolutionary advantage? In which way?
In insect societies, most
individuals renounce reproduction and dedicate their lives to care for the
queen (the only member of the society who lays eggs) and for their brothers and
sisters, while they are larvae. Normally there are at least two separate castes:
those who are sexually active (male and female) and those who are not (usually
asexual females). The differences between active and neutral females come from the
type of food they receive during their larval stage.
