The body surface of nearly all insects, including ants, is covered with a lipid layer that largely
consists of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC). They fulfil several functions, the two best-studied …

Avian parents and social insect colonies are victimized by interspecific brood parasites—
cheats that procure costly care for their dependent offspring by leaving them in another …

Throughout their lives animals must complete many tasks, including finding food, avoiding
predators, attracting mates, and navigating through a complex and dynamic environment …

A key component of parental care involves defending resources destined for offspring from a
diverse array of potential interspecific competitors, such as social parasites, fungi and …

In nature, trickery and deception are widespread. Animals and plants mimic other objects or
species in the environment for protection, trick other species into rearing their young, lure …

Chemical deception/mimicry is one of the most amazing phenomena in the field of chemical
ecology. It involves a mimicry complex in which multiple living protagonists, ie, the model …

Social insect colonies can express adaptive, organism-like design. In some cases, colonies
so resemble a unique, cohesive and integrated “individual” that they are termed …

The study of social parasitism faces numerous challenges arising from the intricate and
intranidal host–parasite interactions and the rarity of parasites compared to their free-living …

Insect societies face many social parasites that exploit their altruistic behaviours or their
resources. Due to the fitness costs these social parasites incur, hosts have evolved various …

Slave-making ants reduce the fitness of surrounding host colonies through regular raids,
causing the loss of brood and frequently queen and worker death. Consequently, hosts …