Dual strategies in ant social immunity: Chemical diversity and pathogen specificity in antimicrobial defense

Abstract

The evolution of sociality provides many benefits but also increases the risk of disease transmission. In response, social insects have evolved social immune defenses, which includes the production and communal use of antimicrobial compounds. The origins of sociality in insects are closely associated with the development of exocrine glands that secrete these antimicrobials. However, it is unclear how social insects prevent pathogens from evolving resistance to these compounds given their frequent use. We tested whether ants reduce this risk by producing chemically diverse and pathogen-specific antimicrobial compounds. Using solvents of varying polarity, we extracted antimicrobial compounds from six ant species and tested their inhibitory effects on Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and a fungal pathogen. Our results show that ants produce multiple classes of antimicrobial compounds with distinct chemical properties and targeted activity, though the strength and specificity of inhibition vary across species. Notably, five of the six ant species tested inhibited Candida auris, an emerging fungal pathogen of critical concern in human medicine due to its multidrug resistance. These findings suggest that social immunity in ants is reinforced by both chemical diversity and pathogen specificity, offering an evolutionary strategy that may help prevent antimicrobial resistance in dense, socially complex environments.