Classic models for the development and evolution of ant castes struggle to explain recent
empirical results. Here, we propose an hourglass model compatible with all existing data …

Highlights•Rove beetles comprise an ancient convergent system of social and symbiotic
evolution.•Parallel changes in chemical communication adapt rove beetles to ant …

Aim One of the most consistent global biogeographic patterns is the latitudinal diversity
gradient where species richness peaks within the equatorial tropics and decreases towards …

Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony life to
social parasitism contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms …

Background Ant colonies are plagued by a diversity of arthropod guests, which adopt
various strategies to avoid or to withstand host attacks. Chemical mimicry of host recognition …

Social parasitism, ie the parasitic dependence of a social species on another free-living
social species, is one of the most intriguing phenomena in social insects. It has evolved to …

Taxonomists have created over 150 unique terms to describe microsculpturing patterns in
ants and other insects, but the evolution and function of these patterns has remained a …

Ant workers are often specialized in specific tasks, and it is well‐established that the main
task an ant performs in the colony can be used to predict its sensitivity and responses to task …

Social parasites exploit the brood care behavior of their hosts to raise their own offspring.
Social parasites are common among eusocial Hymenoptera and exhibit a wide range of …

While most ant species establish a colony independently, some socially parasitic ants build
the foundation of their colony by invading other ant (host) colonies and utilizing their labor …