What specific action does the invading Bombus vestalis queen take upon successfully entering the nest of a Bombus terrestris?
Answer
She kills the resident queen and lays her own eggs
The reproductive strategy of the Bombus vestalis is aggressive and absolute. Upon infiltrating the subterranean nest of a Bombus terrestris, the invading queen must neutralize the current leadership to seize control of the colony. She achieves this by killing the resident host queen. Following the death of the rightful queen, the invading Bombus vestalis lays her own eggs. Because the worker bees of the host colony are already established, they proceed to rear the intruder's brood as if they were their own, allowing the parasite to produce offspring without having to perform any of the labor associated with nest construction or food gathering.
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