<i>Cephalotes atratus</i> (IMAGE)

National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)

<i>Cephalotes atratus</i>

Caption

Parasitic roundworms cause the abdomen of the Cephalotes atratus ant to turn red like a berry, duping birds into eating it and subsequently spreading the parasite in the birds' droppings. The bright abdomen constitutes a phenotype manipulated by the roundworm.

Credit

Steve Yanoviak

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