Formicine ants swallow their highly acidic poison for gut microbial selection and control
S. Tragust, C. Herrmann, J. Häfner, R. Braasch, C. Tilgen, M. Hoock, M. A. Milidakis, R. Gross, H. Feldhaar
The paper shows formicine ants use their acidic poison to control microbial communities in their gut, inhibiting pathogens while promoting beneficial bacteria.
bioRxiv · Feb 13, 2020Evolutionary Biology