Ants develop by complete metamorphosis, passing through
larval and pupal stages before they become adults. The
larval stage is particularly helpless - for instance it
lacks legs entirely - because it does not need to care
for itself. The difference between queens and workers,
and between different castes of workers when they exist,
is determined by feeding in the larval stage. Food is
given to the larvae by a process called trophallaxis in
which an ant regurgitates food previously held in its
crop for communal storage. This is also how adults distribute
food amongst themselves. Larvae and pupae need to be kept
at fairly constant temperatures to ensure proper development,
and so are often moved around various brood chambers within
the colony.
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