Chemical warfare of stealthy silverfish: Parasites hide by covering themselves in ants' scent
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 - 21:30
in Biology & Nature
A co-evolutionary arms race exists between social insects and their parasites. Army ants share their nests with several parasites such as beetles, snails and spiders. They also share their food with the kleptoparasitic silverfish. New research shows that the silverfish manage to hide amongst the ants by covering themselves in the ant's chemical scent.