Thread: The Evolution of Bee and Ant species into a Hierachical comunity

I was thinking of How certain insects like Bees have Queens and Workers, and was hoping to start a conversation on how some species could have evolved so that within one species there can be a Queen and a worker.

I'd like to know about how it came to be from an evolutionairy perspective, would also like to learn more about Bees and Ants and any species that have managed this amazing 'stratergy'. How do their comunities work exactly? Is it always that the Queen is a female and the workers are all males?

Also would be nice to provide some habitat for bees in the garden if anybody has any tips.

All that kind of stuff, if you know anything please join in.

Originally Posted by question for you

Is it always that the Queen is a female and the workers are all males?

Can't answer any of the other questions, but in the case of ants, the workers are (sterile) females.

Originally Posted by Strange

Originally Posted by question for you

Is it always that the Queen is a female and the workers are all males?

Can't answer any of the other questions, but in the case of ants, the workers are (sterile) females.

So the males are bred purely to mate with the queens?

Does that mean there is three distinct 'classes' within any ant species?

Depends on the species. Different reproductive and organisational strategies for different environments if I recall, through the foggy mists of time, from one of David Attenborough's series.

This is an interesting question and warmly sends me back to my younger days watch Nat Geo. With keeping them in a garden, beware if you have a son/daughter, the thought of having a bee hive in a garden reminds me of the movie 'My Girl.' In general, if you can keep the animal in an environment close to its 'natural environment,' then it might be able to survive but there is still a degree of stress if you're creating an unusual environment for the animal. If it isn't done properly, the colony will implode, regress due to insufficient food or worse (for you,) find another home.

I don't know enough about the zoology of ants or bees but there must be some sort of chemicals being produced by the dominant females in each case or, the dominant female just eats all the food/competitors. I also recall that in ants, there is a competition between the senescent female and the younger female for the throne.

Another way of looking at it, instead of a human class or human Monarchy perspective (where the Queen bee wears a tiny crown and tells other bees what to do with an attitude ), is from a cell specialization perspective, similar to colonies of pre-sponge unicellular creatures that have eventually evolved in colonies of cells where some cells become specialized. This angle might provide alternate insights.

Originally Posted by question for you

Also would be nice to provide some habitat for bees in the garden if anybody has any tips.

Bee balm - Plant Encyclopedia - BHG.com

Could a Moon base or Mars colony have a bee hive to help polenization (how ever its spelled) of hydroponics and bio-dome garden flora? (and provide honey?)


maybe astronauts could bring a GM bees that do not have stingers (since they wouldnt need it in a human built artificial colony environment)

Originally Posted by Harold14370

Originally Posted by question for you

Also would be nice to provide some habitat for bees in the garden if anybody has any tips.

Bee balm - Plant Encyclopedia - BHG.com

Monarda are so much more attractive than other plants?

I had swarms of this one little bee on my sedum this year, which is what made me one if I can reate some habitat that they may choose to move into... I do bee-leive they were apis mellifera.

I talk to my Bees question for you. Having lived at this one address for over 50 years I must have had chats with generations of Bees. I escpecially planted Lavender to provide more reason to visit my Garden ( pollinate my apple trees ). I can approach where they are busy collecting nector( and pollen ) and talk quietly to them in a higher toned voice than normal, and they remain quite, no alarm buzzing, while I place my hand among them. Some crawl briefly on my hand then get on with their work. westwind.

That's wonderful stuff Westwind, lovely little fellows aren't they!

Originally Posted by icewendigo

Another way of looking at it, instead of a human class or human Monarchy perspective (where the Queen bee wears a tiny crown and tells other bees what to do with an attitude ), is from a cell specialization perspective, similar to colonies of pre-sponge unicellular creatures that have eventually evolved in colonies of cells where some cells become specialized. This angle might provide alternate insights.

I really like this perspective. Its quite fascinating to observe the worker bees becoming specialised and makes you wonder how such small creatures are able to cooperate without any disputes to the dominance heirarchy.

To westwind, I wouldn't have the courage to go near bees, let alone allow them on my hand - one small mistake and its sting sting sting like the scene involving Macauley Culkin from 'My Girl.' It seems that insects are more complex, intelligent and great interpreters of body language than we usually give them credit for.

Dear ky.tan1. Body Language is not necessarily the main thing. Communication, both ways, and a certain sequencies of approach--and not to approach. I talk to my bees, Quietly, raising and modulating my tonal language, a little falsetto and a little sing song etc. Keep them relaxed. They get used to that. Now, should there be any problem with my visit to them, say they have guest bees with them who would not be used to my being there, then they will give a warning buzz and flyup and back down again. I know then that it is not a good time.

How much is instinct, how much is learned by repetiveness, what importance is placed by the Bees on recognisable body odour, what gives them their tolerance of some humans unless its a kind of intelligent understanding that there is little to be concerned about. Another factor could be--this human is supplying our needs, lets humour him. westwind.