Post #4383696
2026-08-04 21:33 UTC
Some myrmecologists, both amateur and professional have started to wince away from the term "slavery" when used to describe the way that some ants capture other ants. This is mostly a kind impulse to not mix up the horrors of human slavery with something insects do. I've made the case that the word is probably fine since it's hard to distinguish what humans have done from what ants do.
But, there is another word I *don't* think should ever be applied to ants.
This is the use of "caste" 1/
Replies (1)
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@futurebird@sauropods.win 2026-08-04 21:36
In texts on myrmecology "caste" is used to describe the extreme difference in morphology and talents that can be found in a single colony. It's a bad fit, much like the term "queen" since it implies that the ants might value or follow one "caste" over another ... they do not. A better term than queen is "gyne" or "mother" if you want to be less technical. A better term than caste is "morph." But that's just my two cents. 2/2