Parasitic ant

A parasitic ant is a type of ant that exploits the social structure of another ant species for its own survival and reproduction. The most common types of parasitic ants infiltrate a colony of a closely related species by using pheromones identical to those of the colony's workers to avoid conflict and blend in. The parasite lays eggs alongside existing ones for the host colony's worker ants to raise and nurture as their own. Other parasitic ants transport the host colony's pupae and larvae back to the parasite's colony, where the brood will be raised as their own. The host brood that were transported are unable to differentiate between the parasites and their own colony, and serve as worker ants for the parasites. The earliest parasitic ants most likely evolved 16 million years ago as temporary social parasites (ants that infiltrate a colony and kill the host queen). Parasites usually cause harmful effects to the target colony and can inhibit the colony's growth and development. In some cases parasites have been observed to evolve their anatomy to reflect that of their target species, which causes them to remain undetected inside a colony for the majority of their lifespans. The parasites may also experience social parasitic syndrome, causing changes to their anatomy adapted for parasitism. Social parasitic syndrome has been identified in the genera Acromyrmex and Pseudoatta.