Natures wonders: parasite ants help hosts (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, September 13, 2013, 17:36 (4087 days ago) @ David Turell

got to keep your meals alive:-"They're still parasites because they're extracting resources," said Adams. "But in the context of this scenario, [the parasites] use the same chemical weaponry that helps them to invade the host colony against this other raiding species." Adams compared M. symmetochus workers to the Medieval mercenaries that protected cities for pay.
 
To Herber's mind, the work provides a neat illustration of how coevolved relationships can be transformed from purely parasitical to partially mutualistic. "Most—if not all—mutualistic interactions evolved from a parasitic relationship," she said. "So how do we get from parasitic to mutualistic? Well, this [study] shows us one way."-
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/37410/title/From-Parasites-to-Protectors/