How do ants and bees develop different worker and reproductive castes?

In social insects such as ants and bees, the differentiation of larvae into distinct castes—such as queens and workers—is primarily determined by diet, though hormonal and environmental factors also play significant roles.1

Honeybee Caste Development

In western honeybee colonies, all larvae are initially fed royal jelly. However, only those larvae selected to become queens are fed this substance exclusively throughout their development. This specialized, high-quality diet allows them to develop into larger, sexually mature individuals. Conversely, larvae destined to become workers receive royal jelly only during their earliest stages before their diet is transitioned, resulting in sexually undeveloped females.2

Ant Caste Development

For ants, caste differentiation is also largely driven by nutritional intake during the larval stage. In many species, the quality and quantity of food provided by adult workers to the larvae dictate whether an individual develops into a reproductive queen or a worker. In some advanced ant species, this process can lead to significant morphological differences, such as the development of specialized subcastes like soldiers or "super majors," which are physically adapted for specific colony tasks like defense or foraging.13