Fig. 7.

Variation in vitellogenin expression. VG expression was highly dynamic and treatment effects differed between seasons. A) Early in the season, old foragers exhibited the highest VG levels, but only when experiencing a stationary environment as adults, while all other groups followed the predicted pattern of lower VG levels in foragers than in hive bees. Different letters indicate significant differences (P < 0.0055). B) Later in the season, all groups demonstrated the same, predicted decline in VG expression in foragers compared to hive bees, although the magnitude of this effect varied slightly. Significance (P < 0.0055) is noted at the top.