Randomized trial tested queen removal effects on workers' physiological responses in invasive ant colonies, suggesting independence from queen presence.
Key Points
To investigate whether queen loss triggers physiological and transcriptional changes in workers of Lasius neglectus.
Experimental queen removal in colonies of Lasius neglectus.
Measurement of fat body gene expression changes post queen removal.
Assessment of stress resilience in orphan workers.
Queen removal did not change fat body gene expression (no statistical effect noted).
No increase in stress resilience among orphan workers after queen loss observed.
Comparable age-related transcriptional changes were found in both workers and queens.