Newly emerged honey bee larvae Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), were reared in the laboratory on 32P-labeled royal jelly. The resulting adults were classified as workers, intermediates, or queens, depending on their morphological caste characters. Larvae destined to become queens ate 13% more food than worker larvae during the first 3 days of larval life. This difference increased to about 40% after 6 days of larval life. The mean rate of ingestion was 8% less in intermediates as compared to queen larvae during the first 3 days after hatching, and 16% less after 6 days of larval life. Queen larvae consumed an average of 5% more royal jelly than intermediates, and 19% more than workers. The results are discussed in relation to the known differences in growth rates of the queen-worker castes.
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Dietz et al. (1970) studied this question.