Enemies are also useful

It is thought that the complex social organization of some insects has grown to a level where individuals of these species cannot exist alone alone. Research published online in BMC Biology suggests that new predators are the factors that form community life, not the biological, genetic or organizational complexity.

Biological populations from ancient times of bees, wasps, termites and ants have become an indispensable lifestyle for these creatures. And none of them can return to solitary life.

Luke Chenoweth, of the research team at Flinders University, Australia: 'This raises the concept of' irreversibility '. The evolutionary characteristics of behavior, genome and shape to adapt to community life prevent insects from living away from their communities. A queen bee without worker bees is like a human being lacking an essential body part. '

A honey bee.(Photo: James Ward)

Most insect populations have a system of division of labor between higher-ranking individuals and related individuals. Queen bees or princess ants who take on reproductive tasks must rely on worker bees, worker ants who cannot lay eggs. Often, the offspring born by queen or queen will give 'the workers' to eat and nurture the young. But in a few populations of bees still exist the phenomenon that all females are fertile. Some other populations do not. This phenomenon is called omnipotence.

Chenoweth and colleagues investigated bees Halterapis nigrinervis , a species that resides in Africa. This is also a rare case where their ancestors lived in their almighty populations. By studying the bees, scientists hope to discover the factors that motivate or inhibit the transition to individual life.

They collected their nest from many different habitats. Surprisingly, more than half of the harvesters had many female bees, and followed by bee larvae in the nest.'The results have shown that H. nigrinervis is a herd that thus does not detect any evidence that their social relationship has been eroded'. These bees do not have the behavioral and social complexity of honey bees or some other insects that live in other flocks. The fact that they do not live alone, however, becomes a basis for the hypothesis that the pressures from the ecological environment have maintained the community lifestyle, not biological agents.

Scientists have recognized the social qualifier in the population of H. nigrinervis maintained by the relationship with the enemy . The larger the number of female bees, the better the care of the young ones. At the same time, the adults also face the enemy while the others take on the task of raising their young children. Although many insects live in the herd, they maintain their ability to raise children alone, but the benefits of matching opposites with the enemy have maintained their sociality.