Self-medication is a quite common phenomenon among representatives of the animal world, ranging from insects to various primates.
In a new publication in Biology Letters, specialists from the University of Graz in Austria reported that this behavior is likely practiced by ants as well.
During their research, the scientists found that fungus-infected ant individuals chose food that had been sprayed with hydrogen peroxide instead of their usual food. Despite being toxic to these insects in large doses, the researchers suggest that they have learned to use it to defend themselves against pathogens.
For their study, the scientists collected brown forest ants from 30 ant nests in Finland, half of which were infected with fungus by specialists. The insects were then offered a mixture of agar and honey, as well as two mixtures that contained either a small or significant amount of crushed aphids, which have antiseptic properties.
Healthy individuals exclusively preferred the regular mixture, while fungus-infected ants formed about 50% of their diet from the mixture with a high amount of aphids, but after recovering, they resumed eating regular food.
The scientists believe that ants have a high sensitivity to chemical compounds and can determine the concentration that can be consumed for beneficial effects without harming their health.
