Which option best lists the three criteria for eusociality?

Which option best lists the three criteria for eusociality?

• A. Subsocial
• B. Quasisociality
• C. Cooperative brood care; reproductive division of labor; overlapping generations in a nest.
• D. Polygyny.

Answer: (C)

Eusociality is defined by three hallmarks that organize how some insects live in colonies: cooperative brood care (care for the young by individuals other than the parents), reproductive division of labor (specialized roles with some individuals reproducing and others not), and overlapping generations within the same nest (older and younger individuals living together so tasks and caste structure are maintained). The option that lists exactly these three criteria is the best answer because it accurately captures the defining structure of eusocial societies, where care is shared, roles are specialized, and multiple generations coexist to support the colony. The other terms describe different social patterns: subsocial involves parental care without broad cooperative care by nonparents, quasisociality includes cooperative brood care without clear reproductive division into castes, and polygyny refers to multiple queens rather than the three criteria that define eusociality.

Eusociality is defined by three hallmarks that organize how some insects live in colonies: cooperative brood care (care for the young by individuals other than the parents), reproductive division of labor (specialized roles with some individuals reproducing and others not), and overlapping generations within the same nest (older and younger individuals living together so tasks and caste structure are maintained). The option that lists exactly these three criteria is the best answer because it accurately captures the defining structure of eusocial societies, where care is shared, roles are specialized, and multiple generations coexist to support the colony. The other terms describe different social patterns: subsocial involves parental care without broad cooperative care by nonparents, quasisociality includes cooperative brood care without clear reproductive division into castes, and polygyny refers to multiple queens rather than the three criteria that define eusociality.