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Life

Life-extending parasite makes ants live at least three times longer

Ants infected by the parasite don't work, are cared for by uninfected workers and live much longer than usual

By Michael Le Page

12 June 2023

Temnothorax nylanderi ants may benefit from a tapeworm infection

thatmacroguy/Shutterstock

Ants infected with a tapeworm live several times longer than usual. Exactly how the parasite extends the life of its host is unclear, but a cocktail of proteins it releases may provide some clues.

The parasite is a tapeworm called Anomotaenia brevis whose main hosts are several types of woodpecker. Ants of the species Temnothorax nylanderi sometimes collect woodpecker faeces and take them back to the nest to feed to larvae. If there are tapeworm eggs in the faeces, they hatch …

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