eusocial

adjective

eu·​so·​cial ˌyü-ˈsō-shəl 

: living in a cooperative group in which usually one female and several males are reproductively active and the nonbreeding individuals care for the young or protect and provide for the group

eusocial termites, ants, and naked mole rats

eusociality

ˌyü-ˌsō-shē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

As eusocial insects, the world of the honey bee revolves around keeping the queen (larger bee in center of image) healthy and productive. —Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2018

Ants are eusocial, which means members of the colony pitch in to perform specific tasks. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2016

Bees and other eusocial insects, for instance, clearly show evidence of collective intelligence. —Adam Frank, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2022

The inner workings of mole rats’ odd eusocial structure earns them a reputation for aggression. —Max G. Levy, Wired, 24 May 2021

Leaning in particular on research into the captivating lives of eusocial insects like ants and bees, the researchers looked at six different ways that the presence of contagious disease can change social interactions. —Ellie Shechet, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2021

While the scores of social ant species all evolved from one common social ancestor, bees’ eusocial nature evolved multiple times independently. —Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2014

Knowing When the Rules Apply Hamilton’s rule was never meant to apply to eusocial insect colonies alone. —Jordana Cepelewicz, Scientific American, 26 Apr. 2018

The most familiar examples are the fully eusocial ants, in which many sterile female workers do all the chores, a single large queen lays all the eggs, and a sprinkling of male ants, or drones, supply the sperm. —Natalie Angier, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2017

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Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above