New papers from Amsalem Lab on social insects' reproductive strategies

Congratulations to Dr. Etya Amsalem and her lab on two exciting new papers! One study shows how young bees (brood) aid in determining whether a bumble bee colony produces new queens or males, and the other reviews what we know about the chemical signals that regulate reproduction in social insects. Together, these papers shed new light on how insect societies stay organized and adapt to changing conditions.

Amsalem, Etya, Priscila K. F. Santos, Ella Messner, and Cameron Murray. 2025. “Gyne Production Is Regulated by the Brood in a Social Bee (Bombus Impatiens).” Royal Society Open Science 12 (8): 241906.

This study shows that the young bees brood in a bumble bee colony play a major role in determining how the colony develops. Colonies with more brood produced more new queens (gynes), while colonies with less brood tended to make more males. The findings highlight that brood aren’t just passive offspring -they can actively influence the reproductive strategy of the colony.

Amsalem, Etya, and Abraham Hefetz. 2025. “From Molecules to Societies: A Roadmap to the Chemical Regulation of Reproduction in Social Insects.” In Advances in Insect Physiology. Advances in Insect Physiology. Elsevier.

This review looks at how chemical signals (called pheromones) regulate reproduction in ants, bees, termites, and other social insects. Instead of queens being the sole controllers of offspring production, research shows that many factors—including workers, brood, and social context—help to determine colony reproductive behaviors. Insect responses to pheromones are more flexible and learned than previously thought, and new tools in genetics and neurobiology are offering deeper insights into how these signals operate.