In this paper, we use an adaptive modeling framework to model and study how nutritional status (measured by the protein to carbohydrate ratio) may regulate population dynamics and foraging task allocation of social insect colonies. Mathematical analysis of our model shows that both investment to brood rearing and brood nutrition are important for colony survival and dynamics. When division of labour and/or nutrition are in an intermediate value range, the model undergoes a backward bifurcation and creates multiple attractors due to bistability. This bistability implies that there is a threshold population size required for colony survival. When the investment in brood is large enough or nutritional requirements are less strict, the colony tends to survive, otherwise the colony faces collapse. Our model suggests that the needs of colony survival are shaped by the brood survival probability, which requires good nutritional status. As a consequence, better nutritional status can lead to a better survival rate of larvae and thus a larger worker population.

在本文中，我们使用自适应建模框架来建模和研究营养状况（通过蛋白质与碳水化合物的比率衡量）如何调节群居昆虫群落的种群动态和觅食任务分配。我们模型的数学分析表明，对育雏和育雏营养的投资对于群体生存和动态都很重要。当分工和/或营养处于中间值范围内时，模型会经历向后分叉并由于双稳态产生多个吸引子。这种双稳态意味着菌落存活需要一个阈值种群大小。当对育雏的投资足够大或营养要求不那么严格时，群体往往会存活下来，否则群体就会面临崩溃。我们的模型表明，群体生存的需求是由育雏生存概率决定的，这需要良好的营养状况。因此，更好的营养状况可以提高幼虫的存活率，从而增加更多的工人群体。