Home Science Ant pupae secrete fluid as ‘milk’ to nurture young larvae

Ant pupae secrete fluid as ‘milk’ to nurture young larvae

18

Life in an ant colony is a symphony of subtle interactions between insects acting in concert, more like cells in tissue than independent organisms bunking in a colony. Now, researchers have discovered a previously unknown social interaction that unites the colony, linking ants across developmental stages — adults, larvae, and pupae, an immobile stage, not unlike a butterfly’s chrysalis, during which ants transition from larvae to adults.

Source: ScienceDaily.com