Overview
- Researchers at ISTA and the University of Würzburg found that terminally infected pupae alter non-volatile surface chemicals that mark them for removal.
- Worker ants respond by opening the cocoon, making small incisions, and applying formic acid, which clears pathogens but kills the pupa.
- Transferring the extracted scent from diseased to healthy pupae alone triggered the same worker response, demonstrating the cue’s causal role.
- The localized, body-bound signal lets workers pinpoint a single infected individual, supporting a superorganism-like, immune-style defense described as a “find-me-and-eat-me” cue.
- Only worker pupae emit the signal, whereas queen pupae do not, a pattern researchers attribute to queens’ stronger immune defenses and higher likelihood of recovery.