I'm loving the idea of a eusocial insect race! I have some suggestions that I think would make them feel more the part.
I think the insects themselves should be the weapons instead of wielding them. Hardened claws, mandibles, venomous stings ect.
It should be a numbers game. Instead of making them tough, make them expendable. Maybe large clutches of young at a time?
Could the caste system involve eggs (babies) and larva (children)?
Workshops revolve around food preservation and storage. Possible gene strengthening (similar to the biology study the dwarfs use) that uses captives to strengthen the queens gene pool.
Cannibalism of the dead!
What do you guys think?