← Latest news 
Ants Really Kill Their Own Queen How Parasites Trigger the Attack
Science
Published on 25 April 2026
A chemical disguise turns loyal workers on their queen
Scientists say ant colonies can be hijacked: parasitic queens release chemical signals that change the host colony’s scent. Workers then misidentify their own queen as an intruder and help kill her. The finding upends assumptions that ant societies rely on simple cooperation, showing how finely tuned parasite strategies can destabilize entire insect communities.
- Parasites use scent-manipulating chemicals to alter how workers identify the queen
- Host workers begin treating their queen as an intruder
- The discovery challenges long-held ideas about cooperative ant behavior
Read the full story at The Economic Times
This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
The Economic Times