This phenomenon, known as parasitic matricide or chemical manipulation, is a sinister strategy used by certain socially parasitic ant queens to take over a host colony without having to fight the resident queen directly.
It was recently documented in parasitic ant species such as Lasius orientalis and Lasius umbratus, which target the colonies of closely related species like Lasius flavus.
The takeover occurs in a few calculated steps:
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Infiltration via Camouflage: The invading queen first stealthily acquires the unique scent of the host colony by spending time with the host workers. This chemical camouflage tricks the worker ants into accepting her as one of their own, allowing her to reach the host queen undetected.
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Chemical Weaponry: Once near the host queen, the parasitic queen unleashes a chemical spray, suspected to be formic acid, directly onto her victim.
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The Matricide “Trick”: Formic acid is a common defensive and alarm chemical among these ant species, signaling a crisis or a dangerous intruder. When the host queen is covered in this substance, her loyal worker daughters misinterpret her scent—their mother is instantly perceived as a colony-threatening enemy.
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The Coup: The workers, now chemically manipulated, turn on their own queen, attacking her and ultimately killing her. The parasitic queen then moves in to take the throne, laying her eggs, which the orphaned workers are compelled to raise, effectively hijacking the entire colony’s resources and future lineage.
This strategy is considered a rare example of third-party matricide in nature, where the killing benefits neither the mother nor the offspring, but only the parasitic intruder.
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