What are the two castes of honey bees in a colony?

In a honey bee colony, the primary castes are the queen and the worker bees. The queen is the sole reproductive female responsible for laying eggs, ensuring the colony's ongoing population. Her role is crucial because she produces pheromones that help maintain social harmony within the hive.

The worker bees, which are non-reproductive females, handle various tasks essential for the colony's survival. These tasks include foraging for food, caring for the queen's offspring, maintaining the hive, and defending the colony from predators. The presence of these two castes allows for a structured social system where the reproductive and labor roles are clearly defined, each contributing to the colony's success and sustainability.

While drones are also present in a hive, their primary role is to mate with the queen, and larvae represent a developmental stage of bees, rather than a caste. Therefore, the combination of the queen and worker bees as the two main castes provides a clearer understanding of the roles that structure a honey bee colony.