Polyethism is the term used for functional specialization of non-reproductive individuals in a colony of social organisms, particularly insects.
Division of labour is considered a key aspect of eusociality and can be seen in a variety of forms.
Time- and season-related specialization may also be termed more generically as temporal polyethism.
The mechanisms involved in the control of polyethism has been an area of intense research in the field of sociobiology.
[1] The flow of information from the nest environment related to the tasks that need to be undertaken, shortages, recruitment and the control of production of polymorphs by the reproductives has been an area of ongoing research.