Tapeworms infect worker ants, causing their bodies to become more like the queen’s, thereby extending their lifespan several times
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, Germany, the tiny worker ants of Temnothorax nylanderi live surprisingly long lives. Normal worker ants usually only live … Read more