We observed leaf-cutter ants taking the easy route when possible since they crawled ... This arrangement evolved as a defense against the phorid fly (wasp) which tries to deposit its egg on the neck ...

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The rich chemical communication of ants has claimed more attention ... Somehow, they discourage attacks from phorid flies. These parasites swoop onto leaf-cutters and inject an egg, which hatches ...

“In Costa Rica, we’ve found leaf-cutter ants wandering along trails beside their nest mates even though there’s nothing inside their heads but a mature, fat phorid fly maggot,” Brown said ...

So then we went looking for leaf cutter ants ... a fungus grows which is the only food of the ants, including the young. When a queen ant flies, she takes a "starter" from this fungus, establishes ...