6. growing queens

Insect adults emerge fully developed. There is no more growth after
emergence. However, a laying queen may appear much larger when she is
in her her prime. Virgin queens a week old appear to be as small as
worker bees. This difference in appearance has a lot to do with the
speed in which these queens move. The virgins are very fast and seem
to try to hide. The large queens are heavy and move rather slowly.
Only the abdomen in these is actually different, the laying queen's
being swollen with eggs.

--
Peter Borst
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http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/plb6/