MORE SOCIAL INSECTS HAVE WEAKER IMMUNE RESPONSE, HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF HYGIENE

Research finds that among eusocial insects like ants, bees and termites, the more individuals there are in a typical species colony, the weaker the species' immune response. The finding strongly suggests that hygiene behaviors, and not just immune systems, play a key role in keeping eusocial insects healthy.

Eusocial insects live in groups, and living at close quarters with many other individuals would appear to increase their risk of contracting disease. Yet eusocial insects are incredibly successful, raising the question of how they are able to thrive.

The encapsulation response is an immune response in which hemocytes in an insect's hemolymph engulf and immobilize any foreign substances that enter the insect's body. Hemocytes are roughly analogous to white blood cells, while hemolymph is roughly analogous to blood in mammals.

For this study, the researchers inserted a probe into the insect samples and measured how strong the encapsulation response was.

They found that eusocial insects generally had a less pronounced immune response than their non-eusocial counterparts. They also found that the larger the colony size associated with a species, the weaker its immune response.

Thanks to: sciencedaily.com