Social immunity in a supercolonial invasive ant: Nest structure confers immune function.

ABSTRACT: In animals, group living comes at the cost of increased pathogen exposure. In kin groups, social immune behaviours offset that cost and reach their most complex expression in eusocial insect societies. In the nests of these societies, collective social behaviours can modify the patterns of individual interactions across space, reducing the ability of pathogens to reach the reproductive core of the colony (organizational immunity). To be effective, these behaviours must separate infected and uninfected individuals; implying that the efficacy of social immune behaviours may depend upon nest structure. The role of nest space has received little attention, and most knowledge of social immune behaviour in social insects is based on the study of generalist entomopathogenic fungi. We examine the

SUBMITTER: LeBrun EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12775550 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature