Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Insects

An Evolutionary Approach to Castes and Reproduction

  • Book
  • © 1990

Overview

Editors:
  1. Wolf Engels

    1. Zoologisches Institut Lehrstuhl Entwicklungsphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen 1, Germany

    View editor publications

    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

Log in via an institution
eBook USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-V
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Evolution of Castes in Insects

    • Bernhard Rensch
    Pages 1-2

  3. Perception of Caste Problems

    • Wolf Engels
    Pages 3-4

  4. Sexual Castes and Reproductive Strategies in Termites

    • Charles Noirot
    Pages 5-35

  5. Regulation of Worker and Queen Formation in Ants with Special Reference to Reproduction and Colony Development

    • Alfred Buschinger
    Pages 37-57

  6. Physiology and Reproduction in Social Wasps

    • Alain Strambi
    Pages 59-75

  7. Reproduction and Castes in Social Halictine Bees

    • Charles D. Michener
    Pages 77-121

  8. Castes in Xylocopine Bees

    • Charles D. Michener
    Pages 123-146

  9. Castes and Reproduction in Bumblebees

    • Peter-Frank Röseler, Cor G. J. van Honk
    Pages 147-166

  10. Caste Development, Reproductive Strategies, and Control of Fertility in Honey Bees and Stingless Bees

    • Wolf Engels, Vera L. Imperatriz-Fonseca
    Pages 167-230

  11. Differentiation in Reproductive Physiology and Behaviour During the Development of Laying Worker Honey Bees

    • Hayo H. W. Velthuis, Friedrich Ruttner, Robin M. Crewe
    Pages 231-243

  12. Regulatory Steps in Caste Development of Eusocial Bees

    • Klaus Hartfelder
    Pages 245-264

  13. Back Matter

    Pages 265-265
    Download chapter PDF
Back to top

Keywords

About this book

Evolution of Castes in Insects l BERNHARD RENSCH The evolution of organisms in the succession of generations has been primarilly achieved through the appearance of new hereditary variants with minor deviations along with the development of stable structures and functions. Harmful mutants were eradicated either immediately or in the subsequent generations through the process of natural selection while unharmful or advantageous ones usually survived. As this process continued, many new races and species developed which possessed structures and functions of a rational nature and which became increasingly independent from their environment. These evolutionary tendencies were also promoted through either geographical, ecological, physiological or genetical isolation of populations. In some phylogenetic lines, there occurred an increase in the number of cells due to additional cellular divisions in the morphogenesis of structures. This opened up the possibility for the development of the division of labour within cellular groups leading to more complicated and consequently more successful functions of tissues and organs. A further advancement in the adaptation of a species to its environment was made possible through specialization for certain functions of whole individuals or groups of individuals.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Zoologisches Institut Lehrstuhl Entwicklungsphysiologie, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen 1, Germany

    Wolf Engels

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Social Insects

  • Book Subtitle: An Evolutionary Approach to Castes and Reproduction

  • Editors: Wolf Engels

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74490-7

  • Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1990

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-642-74492-1Published: 13 December 2011

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-74490-7Published: 06 December 2012

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: V, 265

  • Topics: Zoology, Cell Biology, Neurosciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Back to top

Search

Navigation