In the ponerine ant, Ectatomma tuberculatum, workers pass through succ
essive functional stages over the course of their adult life. This beh
avioural ontogeny from brood care to foraging activity appears to be c
losely related to glandular changes. Intranidal workers have growing o
r mature ovaries, while extranidal workers have degenerated ovaries bu
t a well-developed reservoir of the poison gland. Our study, which was
based on individual marking and multidimensional analyses, evidenced
that the behavioural differences recorded among workers of a same age
class are related to at least one physiological parameter. It means th
at variations in the course of the functional stages as compared to a
basic age polyethism, may be partly explained by physiological maturat
ion. We suggested then to substitute the term of 'age polyethism' by a
more appropriate one, such as 'maturation polyethism'.