🐝 Unraveling the Evolution of Social Behavior in Bees! 🌻
Eusociality is a fascinating level of social organization in insects, where individuals divide labor and cooperate to raise offspring. Among insects, this behavior has independently evolved at least 18 times. One standout species, Lasioglossum albipes, is a socially flexible sweat bee. In an incredible twist, some populations of this species have convergently reverted from eusociality to a solitary life history. This flexibility allowed scientists to compare social and solitary groups within the same species, unlocking insights into the genes that drive social behavior.
📖 Read more about this groundbreaking research:
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📷 Note: The bees pictured belong to the genus Lasioglossum, but are not the exact species studied (Lasioglossum albipes).
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