Honey Bee Division of Labor: A Behavioral-Genetic Analysis

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The organization of an animal society may be influenced by its genetic structure. Dr. Page will test this principle of social behavior with social insects, which live in some of the most complex colonies on earth. He will determine whether or not genetic composition of a colony of honey bees influences one of the most prominent traits of insect social organization, the division of labor among workers. The honey bee is an ideal species for studying the genetic basis of colony organization because it exhibits an elaborate division of labor, and because its colonies are genetically diverse, due to the polygamous mating behavior of queens. Methods of culturing and experimental manipulation are uniquely available for honey bees, allowing especially thorough study of behavioral genetics. Dr. Page's research is designed to determine whether or not differences in division of labor among worker honey bees have a genetic basis, and, if so, to delineate the relative importance of both genetic and environmental influences on worker behavior. Two genetic techniques will be applied to the study of division of labor for the first time. First, the effect of intracolonial genetic variation on the division of labor will be examined in colonies of bees bearing biochemical genetic markers. Second, a program of artificial selection will be conducted to produce lines of bees that differ in the tendency to specialize on one task; these lines will be used as probes to study the interactions between genetic and environmental determinants of task performance. The principal significance of this research is that it may chart a new direction for the study of the insect societies, because it has long been thought that differences in worker behavior are determined by the environment. This study also provides an excellent opportunity to analyze the genetic and environmental determinants of behavior in an animal displaying a rich behavioral repertoire, because it will be possible to exert unusually precise control over both genetic and environmental conditions.