ABSTRACT
In a social insect colony, various tasks are accomplished. These include foraging for food and water, nest construction and repair, cleaning and brood care. Ideas about division of labor, and about task allocation, represent two different approaches to finding out how these tasks are organized. The “division of labor” approach is based on the idea that individuals are specialized to certain tasks. This approach raises questions about the factors that determine which individual performs which task. The study of task allocation, however, examines the factors that determine how many individuals perform each task, regardless of those individuals’ identities. This second approach raises questions about how much of a task gets done and how this depends on external conditions (Gordon, 1996).
