Ants “use chemical warfare to compel host workers to kill their 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. (Kyushu University via SWNS)

Ants use ‘chemical warfare’ to compel host workers to kill their own queen, reveals new research.

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