Scientists have discovered parasites that extend the life of ants
German scientists have conducted a large-scale study of the life of forest ants of the species Temnothorax nylanderi and found that a special type of parasite significantly prolongs their life. The work was published in the scientific journal Royal Society Open Science.
The researchers found that Anomotaenia brevis tapeworms enter the intestines of ants through food and significantly change their lifestyle. Worker ants stop doing anything and often even move around. At the same time, they preserve the youth of the body and their life expectancy significantly increases – they can live up to 20 years, despite the fact that usually ants of this species live no more than several months.
Entomologists have found that such actions are the “strategy” of the parasite. Usually it lives in the body of birds, however, together with the droppings, the parasites get to the ground and become food for ants. Infected ants do not try to defend themselves in case of danger and therefore easily become prey for birds. This completes the full reproduction cycle of parasites.
Scientists have previously explained how mosquitoes choose their prey to bite.
