The effects of age and past and present behavioral specialization on behavior of workers of the red wood ant Formica polyctena Först. during nestmate reunion tests

- Dyadic nestmate reunion tests were applied to study the behavior of red wood ants.
- Callows and nurses differed from ants that had already switched to extranidal tasks.
- Behavior of reverted nurses differed largely from behavior of foragers.
- Absence of young workers did not induce behavioral reversion in foragers.
- Behavioral reversion had other correlates besides the return to intranidal brood care.