Deceptive ant queens use chemical warfare to orchestrate royal coups in rival colonies

In a stunning display of nature’s dark side, scientists have discovered that certain parasitic ant species have mastered the art of hostile takeovers through chemical manipulation and deadly deception. Recent research reveals how queens of two ant species—Lasius orientalis and Lasius umbratus—infiltrate foreign colonies and manipulate worker ants into committing matricide, killing their own mother queen to install the invader as their new ruler.

The sophisticated invasion strategy begins with espionage. These parasitic queens lurk outside target colonies, stealthily acquiring the unique chemical scent signatures of worker ants as they forage. “Ants live in the world of odors,” explains study co-author Keizo Takasuka from Kyushu University in Japan. By adopting the colony’s distinctive smell, the infiltrating queen essentially creates a chemical disguise that allows her to slip past the colony’s defenses undetected.

Once inside, the parasitic queen employs what researchers believe is chemical warfare. She approaches the resident queen and sprays her with abdominal fluid, likely containing formic acid—the same alarm pheromone ants naturally release when under attack. This clever manipulation triggers the worker ants’ protective instincts, but against their own mother rather than the true intruder. The workers, believing their queen poses a threat, turn on her fatally.

This rare example of induced matricide represents an extraordinary evolutionary adaptation in the competitive world of ant societies, where battles over territory and resources drive the development of increasingly sophisticated survival strategies. The discovery sheds new light on the complex chemical communication systems that govern insect societies and the remarkable lengths to which some species will go to ensure their genetic survival.