Tapeworms infect worker ants, causing their bodies to become more like the queen’s, thereby extending their lifespan several times
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July 23, 2026
A worker ant (Temnothorax nylanderi) infected with the short tapeworm (Anomotaenia brevis), identifiable by its yellowish color, alongside an uninfected worker ant (Image: Susanne Foitzik) Deep in the humid leaf litter of the Lenneberg Forest near Mainz,…