Insects are associated with multiple microbes that have been reported to influence various
aspects of their biology. Most studies in insects, including pest species, focus on the …

Parasites must overcome host immunity and change hosts for dispersal. Therefore,
seemingly odd behaviors of parasitized animals, like those exhibited by “Zombie ants” or the …

Background Adaptive manipulation of animal behavior by parasites functions to increase
parasite transmission through changes in host behavior. These changes can range from …

Ant-infecting Ophiocordyceps fungi are globally distributed, host manipulating, specialist
parasites that drive aberrant behaviors in infected ants, at a lethal cost to the host. An …

Ants can display modified behaviors that represent the extended phenotypes of genes
expressed by parasites that infect them. In such cases, the modifications benefit the parasite …

Biological rhythms regulate the biology of most, if not all living creatures, from whole
organisms to their constitutive cells, their microbiota, and also parasites. Here, we present …

Like a moth into the flame—phototaxis is an iconic example for innate preferences. Such
preferences probably reflect evolutionary adaptations to predictable situations and have …

Highlights•Deep sequencing has allowed for the identification of a large number of covert
virus infections in insects.•The molecular basis of behavioural changes that facilitate …

Summit disease, in which infected hosts seek heights (gravitropism), first noted in modern
times by nineteenth-century naturalists, has been shown to be induced by disparate …

Specialized parasites can modify host behavior to benefit transmission and reproduction.
Such behavior is considered an extended phenotype of the parasite. The interactions …