The body surface of nearly all insects, including ants, is covered with a lipid layer that largely
consists of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC). They fulfil several functions, the two best-studied …

Socially parasitic myrmecophily has evolved numerous times in arthropods, but
myrmecophilous lineages are non-randomly distributed across phylogeny. Evolution of this …

The Hymenoptera are one of the largest orders of insects, comprising almost 160,000
described extant species with a true total of possibly over one million species. Most species …

Host-symbiont interactions are embedded in ecological communities and range from
unspecific to highly specific relationships. Army ants and their arthropod guests represent a …

Background Ant colonies are plagued by a diversity of arthropod guests, which adopt
various strategies to avoid or to withstand host attacks. Chemical mimicry of host recognition …

Social insect colonies provide a valuable resource that attracts and offers shelter to a large
community of arthropods. Previous research has suggested that many specialist parasites of …

Ants patrol foliage and exert a strong selective pressure on herbivorous insects, being their
primary predators. As ants are chemically oriented, some organisms that interact with them …

Highlights•Acromyrmex insinuator is an inquiline of the related leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex
echinatior.•Parasite queens are attacked by non-nestmate host workers, but not by …

Social insects use the blend of hydrocarbons present on their cuticle to efficiently distinguish
nestmates from aliens. Intruders must therefore find a strategy to break the recognition code …

Inter-specific symbiotic links are often reinforced by morphological, physiological, or
behavioural trait modification undergone by the associated species. In some cases, such as …