Scientists Uncover How Sick Ants Sacrifice Themselves for Colony Survival

Sick young ants have a unique way of protecting their colony. When they fall ill, they release a special smell to signal the worker ants to remove them. This is a remarkable act of self-sacrifice aimed at saving the colony from infection.

Ant colonies function like a “super-organism,” much like how our bodies respond to illness. Just as infected cells send alerts to be destroyed, sick ants communicate their condition. Erika Dawson, a behavioral ecologist and lead author of a recent study, explains that ant nests are breeding grounds for disease. With thousands of ants in close quarters, an outbreak can spread quickly.

When adult worker ants get sick, they tend to leave the nest to die alone. However, pupae—the young ants—can’t do this since they are confined in cocoons. When infected, these pupae undergo chemical changes that produce a distinctive scent. The worker ants respond by removing the cocoon and using a toxic substance to kill both the pupae and the pathogens inside.

In Dawson’s study, researchers aimed to understand if pupae are intentionally signaling to the worker ants. They found that when they extracted the smell from sick pupae and applied it to healthy ones, the worker ants destroyed them. This suggests that the pups are indeed sending out a distress signal.

Interestingly, queen pupae don’t release this signal when infected. Historically, queens play a vital role in the colony’s future. By warning others of their sickness, they risk inhibiting their reproductive capabilities. Dawson’s research indicates that queens have stronger immune systems, allowing them to fend off infections without needing to signal for help.

The findings were published in Nature Communications. This isn’t the first time researchers have looked into how ants communicate. A Stanford study in 2012 likened ant communication to data transmission over the internet, forever changing our view of their social structure.

Moreover, studies show that other animals, like guppies and mandrills, also practice social distancing to prevent the spread of illness. For instance, bees have been observed removing sick members from their hives to protect their colony.

Understanding these behaviors not only shines a light on ant societies but also offers insights into how social animals manage health risks—an important consideration in our ongoing struggle with disease management today.

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Insects, Science