An ant colony rises against its own queen (IMAGE)

Kyushu University

An ant colony rises against its own queen

Caption

Researchers report on a behavioral phenomenon where parasitic ants trick a host colony into killing its own queen. In this photo, the parasitic ant queen Lasius orientalis (left) infiltrates the nest of Lasius flavus and apporaches their queen (right). The parasite will then spray the host queen and trick the colony to attacking their own mother. Once the host queen is dispatched, the parasitic queen will take over.

Credit

Keizo Takasuka/Kyushu University

Usage Restrictions

Only for media and non-commercial use.

License

Original content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.