Question

some species of wasps are social. the queen starts a colony from scratch each spring. she builds a small nest, and lays and raises a group of female workers. the workers enlarge the nest while the queen continues to lay eggs. unfertilized eggs become males that mate with newly hatched females. all of the wasps except the newly fertilized females die by the summer. which best describes this behavior? it is beneficial only to the males that do not fertilize eggs. it is beneficial only to the female workers that are not fertilized. it is beneficial to each one of the individual colony members. it is beneficial to the whole species, but not to all of the individual members.

Explanation:

Social wasp behavior is geared towards the survival and propagation of the species. The queen starts a colony, workers help in nest - building and the life - cycle ensures new females are fertilized for the next generation. While not all individuals may directly benefit (e.g., workers don't reproduce in the traditional sense), the overall behavior benefits the species' continuity.

Answer:

It is beneficial to the whole species, but not to all of the individual members.