Communication between queens and larvae in the ant Myrmica

Abstract

Queens are ineffective if separated by a double gauze screen from workers and brood. This applies in spring to the reduction in growth of large third instar larvae and to the increase in growth of small ones as well as to their power to attract workers. Whereas all queens appear to be able to induce workers to scar large larvae some are unable to reduce their growth rate. Queens will themselves attack large spring larvae. To induce workers to do so they do not need to touch the larvae themselves; it is only necessary that the workers have access both to the queens and the larvae. Workers cannot communicate information about the presence of queens through gauze that is just too finely meshed to prevent them passing bodily, nor do they carry it if transferred from a queen-right to a queenless culture. Queen influence does not seem to persist in the workers for more than a few hours.