Juveniles and the elderly defend, the middle-aged escape: division of labour in a social aphid

@article{Uematsu2013JuvenilesAT,
  title={Juveniles and the elderly defend, the middle-aged escape: division of labour in a social aphid},
  author={Keigo Uematsu and Masakazu Shimada and Harunobu Shibao},
  journal={Biology Letters},
  year={2013},
  volume={9}
}
In colonies of social insects, non-random spatial positioning within the colonies may reflect division of labour and improve colony efficiency. Here, we describe a novel defence system in the colony of a gall-forming social aphid, Quadrartus yoshinomiyai (Nipponaphidini), where young and old defensive aphids move towards the dangerous area typically associated with a higher risk of predation, whereas the middle-aged reproductive individuals move away. Younger nymphs and post-reproductive adults… 
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