Specialized tasks drive success in social insects and beyond!
Division of labor is a crucial aspect of social organization, especially for eusocial insects. It involves individuals specializing in different tasks within a group. This specialization can be for reproduction or other colony functions. Eusocial colonies have workers that specialize in various tasks, leading to efficient colony growth and maintenance. Division of labor also occurs in unrelated communal groups and even in artificial insect groups. The reasons for this specialization range from social interactions to genetic differences among workers. Overall, task differentiation is a common feature in highly social insect groups.