How do larvae sustain the entire adult population during feeding?
Answer
By converting hard-to-digest animal protein into easily absorbed energy
The relationship hinges on the larvae acting as efficient, living food processing units. The adult workers bring back complex, hard-to-digest animal protein in the form of chewed insect matter. The larvae possess the specialized digestive capabilities to break down this raw protein slurry into its core components. In exchange for receiving this necessary building material, the larvae process it and secrete a highly refined, easily digestible, sugary liquid. This nutrient-rich liquid is then consumed by the adult workers, ensuring that the high-protein diet consumed by the young ultimately fuels the entire adult population tending to them.
Related Questions
What diet fuels the rapid growth of wasp larvae underground?What do adult wasps primarily gather for energy needs?What liquid does the larva secrete to sustain the adult wasp?Compared to a honeybee, why does a wasp visit a flower?Which insects are typical live prey hunted by worker wasps for larvae?What characterizes the provisioning diet of a solitary potter wasp?What nutritional need drives the intense predation by late summer wasps?What specific substance excreted by pests provides simple sugars for adults?How do larvae sustain the entire adult population during feeding?How are wasp larvae prepared as seasonal delicacies in parts of Japan?What is the primary focus of the queen wasp in the spring?