Interindividual variability in social insects

In social insects, colonies usually operate without central control and their organisation rely on a multitude of interactions among individuals following simple rules based on local information. It is now generally assumed that behavioural variability within the workforce is beneficial for a colony because it gives rise to division of labour and enhances colony efficiency and productivity. One intriguing but open question is the extent to which social life has shaped the range of behavioural variations observed within groups. We ask whether the level of behavioural variability found in social groups has profited from the implementation of specific processes to increase variation among individuals.