MWAHAAHAHAHAHAHA LORE DUMP AND you can’t stop me!

For context, the diet wasps get in their development stages can effect what they develop into. I have kind of made a super simplified version of this in my setting, where they can be born as one of two genes, and can be fed one of two diets.

Princess gene+queens diet=Queen
Princess gene+worker’s diet=Antlette
Worker’s gene+queens diet=Soldier
Worker’s gene+workers diet=worker

For Antlettes, their stunted growth is due to malnutrition. Princess’s innards are built for absorbing lots of nutrients fast rather than actual digestion, so when they’re fed a diet they can barely absorb, Half of them don’t even make it out if their pupal stages.

The wasp’s society is one built on ignorance, propaganda and lies. “Queen above all” is engrained on everyone at birth, and an individual’s value is measured entirely in how well they can contribute to that cause. Due to their weaker physical abilities and artistic inclinations, Antlettes often end up being artists, musicians, dancers, weavers and other less physically demanding artisanal jobs that are seen as “non-contributions” and worthless in value, but still allow them to survive.

Another thing to note regarding the discrimination is that it doesn’t just come from the lack of perceived contribution, but also the hidden narrative that they may try to usurp the queen (even if they literally cannot become queens themselves) this has led to generations of Antlettes being oppressed, and swaths of them being eradicated at the mere mention of dissatisfaction.