SO ENDS this consideration of slavery in ant colonies, an extreme form of parasitism. Tetramorium inquilinum surely is the poster child of the most extreme adaptation to this lifestyle, with the body of the queen stripped down to bare essentials while she rides on the back of the host queen: an unforgettable image. The use of chemical mind control of the slaves chillingly reminds us that an Orwellian dystopia is not limited to the human condition.
linkedin post 2022-06-29 05:12:48
Nigel Fleming
September 21, 2022