A Social Parasite’s Sophisticated Mimicry

A Jewish friend says: “Why try to be fair in an unfair world if it will eventually lead to your demise? Might is right. Muslims know this.”

WASP decency makes WASPs vulnerable to tribes unconcerned about the welfare of their host nation.

New York Times: An ant colony is an insect fortress: When enemies invade, soldier ants quickly detect the incursion and rip their foes apart with their oversize mandibles.

But some invaders manage to slip in with ease, none more mystifyingly than the ant nest beetle.

Adult beetles stride into an ant colony in search of a mate, without being harassed. They lay eggs, from which larva hatch. As far as scientists can tell, workers feed the young beetles as if they were ants.

When the beetles grow into adults, the ants swarm around them, grooming their bodies. In exchange for this hospitality, the beetles sink their jaws into ant larvae and freshly moulted adults in order to drink their body fluids.

…Scientists refer to ant nest beetles as social parasites. Instead of infecting a single host’s body, they hijack an entire society.

About Luke Ford

I've written five books (see Amazon.com). My work has been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and on 60 Minutes. I teach Alexander Technique in Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com).
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