Rhythmic Vibrations Guide Caste Development in Social Wasps
Monday, January 24, 2011 - 16:06
in Biology & Nature
Future queen or tireless toiler? A paper wasp's destiny may lie in the antennal drumbeats of its caretaker. While feeding their colony's larvae, a paper wasp queen and other dominant females periodically beat their antennae in a rhythmic pattern against the nest chambers, a behavior known as antennal drumming.