Table 1. Association of worker aging and colony function.

Behavioral effects of mechanical wear or shortened lifespan on task performance.

Species	Age-related effect	Notes	Reference
Atta cephalotes	Switch task following mandibular wear	Workers that cut experience mandibular wear with increased age (assumed) and switch to carrying leaves	Schofield et al. 2011
Pogonomyrmex owyheei	Foragers experience mandibular wear	Impaired ability to pick up small food items	Porter and Jorgensen 1981
Myrmica scabrinodis	Increase in risk-taking with shortened lifespan	Workers experimentally harmed to shorten lifespan were more likely to forage under higher risk	Moroń et al. 2012