Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Conflict resolution in insect societies.

Francis L W Ratnieks1, Kevin R Foster, Tom Wenseleers

  • 1Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, UK. f.ratnieks@sheffield.ac.uk

Annual Review of Entomology
|December 8, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reprogrammed SimCells for antimicrobial therapy.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Deformed wing virus affects foraging success and foraging specialization of honeybee workers.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Early-season helping yields increasing returns to scale at the onset of eusociality.

Evolution letters·2025
Same author

Age-related differences in learning, memory and brain plasticity in workers of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025
Same author

A retrospectively registered pilot randomized controlled trial of postbiotic administration during antibiotic treatment increases microbiome diversity and enriches health-associated taxa.

Infection and immunity·2025
Same author

Conflict over caste fate in insect societies.

Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·2025
Same journal

Introduction.

Annual review of entomology·2026
Same journal

<i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>: A Model System for Accelerating Studies on <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> Infection in Insects.

Annual review of entomology·2026
Same journal

Complex Behaviors in Termites: Mechanisms and Evolution.

Annual review of entomology·2026
Same journal

The Diverse and Intricate Interactions Between Flies and Amphibians: A Systematic Review of Their Host-Use Patterns and Strategies.

Annual review of entomology·2025
Same journal

Tick-Borne Diseases in Urban and Periurban Areas: A Blind Spot in Research and Public Health.

Annual review of entomology·2025
Same journal

Effects of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products on Insects.

Annual review of entomology·2025
See all related articles

Insect societies face reproductive conflicts, impacting colony dynamics. Kinship, coercion, and constraint typically resolve these conflicts, ensuring colony cohesion.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Social insects

Background:

  • Insect societies are characterized by cooperation but also exhibit significant reproductive conflicts among individuals.
  • These conflicts involve direct reproduction and manipulation of colony members' reproductive capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review major areas of reproductive conflict in insect societies.
  • To analyze the basis, expression, outcome, and resolution of these conflicts.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of five key areas of reproductive conflict.
  • Analysis of conflict dynamics: potential, actual, outcome, and resolution.
  • Examination of factors influencing conflict resolution, such as worker behavior.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Reproductive conflicts are widespread in insect societies, affecting sex allocation, queen and male rearing, caste fate, and breeding.
  • Conflicts can have dramatic colony-level effects.
  • Key factors like kinship, coercion, and constraint limit conflict expression and costs.

Conclusions:

  • Reproductive conflicts are a significant aspect of insect social organization.
  • Despite potential for disruption, these conflicts are often resolved through a combination of kinship, coercion, and constraint.
  • Understanding these conflicts provides insight into the evolution of sociality in insects.