Specialized Myrmecophily at the Ecological Dawn of Modern Ants

Myrmecophiles—species that depend on ant societies—include some of the most morphologically and behaviorally specialized animals known [1Kistner D.H. The social insects’ bestiary.in: Hermann H.R. Social Insects. Academic Press, New York1982: 1-244Crossref Google Scholar]. Remarkable adaptive characters enable these creatures to bypass fortress-like security, integrate into colony life, and exploit abundant resources and protection inside ant...