Parasitic ants are a type of ant that exploit other ant species' social structures in order to assist with their own survival and reproduction. The most common types of parasitic ants will usually infiltrate another colony of a closely related species, disguising themselves with identical pheromones of the colony's workers, and lay their own eggs alongside existing ones for the host colony's workers to raise and nurture as their own using egg mimicry. [1] [2]
Only around 230 different species of ants are considered parasites. [3] The genus Formica contains a particularly large amount of parasitic species, [4] with over half of it's 172 species being considered parasites. [5] Other species such as the Acromyrmex leafcutter ants and the Myrmica red ants also show parasitic behaviors. [6]
There are several methods that ants will use to exploit other colonies. A common method observed in Teleutomyrmex schneideri involves clinging onto the body of a host ant and consuming nutrients from the host ant. [7] Another method observed involves a parasitic queen ant mating with a male from the host colony (through identical sex pheromones of the host queen), and then challenging the host queen. [8]
Slaver ants are a type of parasitic ant that will capture the offspring of a host colony in order to raise them as their own. The enslaved ants are unable to differentiate between the parasitic species and their own, and will therefore behave as workers for the slaver colony. [9] Slaver colonies will usually send out scouts to search for similar species to their own in order to infiltrate the colony with minimal conflict from host workers, and then return to prepare for an attack known as slave raiding. [10] They will then launch a raid where they may capture thousands of offspring in various stages of growth. [11]
Some species of Solenopsis (fire ants) have been found to attach themselves to the backs of other ants in a parasitic fashion, where they can infiltrate a host colony easier. [12] Rodeo ants will clamp onto the thorax of a host ant (usually the queen), and cover themselves with the pheromones of ant in order to remain undetected by the rest of the colony. [13] All rodeo ants are queens and therefore lack workers to care for them, so the ant will lay their eggs off the back of the host whilst they are tending to or laying their own eggs, in an effort to convince the host colony to raise the parasite's offspring. [14]
Some parasitic ants are considered temporary social parasites, which involves infiltrating a colony and the killing of the host colony's queen by the parasitic queen, and using the host workers to develop a new colony. [15] [8] After the host queen is killed, the parasite will then begin laying their own eggs among existing ones, and the host workers will behave with the parasite as though it is their new queen. [3]
Depending on the method of parasitism, the effects can vary drastically on the host colony. If a host colony is repeatedly subjected to slave raids, their ability to replenish their workers is reduced and may eventually lead to colony collapse. [16] Colonies subjected to temporary social parasites may gradually experience a decline in their population as the offspring from the new parasite queen replaces the existing host workforce. [4] [17] The resources and care that usually are diverted towards a host colony's own young are then used for the parasite's offspring, which can lead to significantly less healthy and fit host worker ants. [18]
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