Worker

Definition

In eusocial insects, a sterile or non-reproductive female caste that performs the labor of the colony: foraging, brood care, nest construction, defense, and maintenance. Workers are typically diploid daughters of the queen (in Hymenoptera) or of both parents (in termites), and their altruistic behavior is explained by haplodiploidy or other mechanisms of kin selection that make them more closely related to siblings than to potential offspring.

Etymology

Example

In a honey bee colony, workers transition through age-related tasks: young workers clean cells and feed larvae, middle-aged workers process nectar and build comb, and older workers forage for pollen and nectar until death.

Synonyms

• sterile caste
• laborer caste

Related Terms

• Caste
• Queen
• drone
• Gyne
• eusocial
• Haplodiploidy
• Kin selection
• nanitic
• soldier

Usage Notes

Worker is a relative term: in some ants, workers may retain ovaries and lay haploid (male) eggs when the queen is absent. In termites, both sexes can be workers, whereas in Hymenoptera workers are always female. The term contrasts with reproductive castes (queen, gyne, king) and with specialized defensive castes (soldiers).