Genetic and chemical divergence among host races of a socially parasitic ant

Host-parasite associations facilitate the action of reciprocal selection and can drive rapid evolutionary change. When multiple host species are available to a single parasite, parallel specialization on different hosts may promote the action of diversifying natural selection and divergence via host race formation. Here, we examine a population of the kidnapper ant (Polyergus mexicanus) that is an obligate social parasite of three sympatric ant...