The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
Adult Bombus terrestris workers show an early-life transition: callows (≤1 day) have high lipid but low haemolymph sugars, while ≥7-day workers have ~half the lipid and ~6-fold higher glucose and ~4-fold higher trehalose.
- Why it matters: Age-based division of labour depends on physiological state, but how energy stores change with age in bumblebee workers is not well characterized.
- What they did: Workers in five age classes (0–28 days) and varying body sizes were sampled to measure haemolymph fructose, glucose, and trehalose and body lipid content (% of dry mass), with body size assessed by head width, intertegular distance, and dry mass.
- The result: Fructose stayed similar across ages, while age explained most variation in lipid and sugar levels, indicating an age-dependent shift in energy stores that requires accounting for worker age in social insect studies.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.