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Polymorphism And Plasticity In The Termite Caste System, Austin Merchant

Theses and Dissertations--Entomology

Developmental plasticity, manifested as a caste system, is integral to the success of eusocial insects because of the way in which it decouples the various tasks that a single, solitary organism would normally be responsible for, allowing individuals to specialize towards their given roles while keeping vulnerable members of the colony, such as those responsible for reproduction, safe from harm. Termites exhibit particularly complex caste systems that can be divided into three types of castes: workers perform manual labor, such as foraging and brood care; soldiers defend the nest; and reproductives lay eggs. Each of these castes, as well as …