Plagiolepis ants are champions of survival in extreme conditions. They are able to cope with any adversity, except… parasites.
Look at the photo: some Plagiolepis seem to have put on bright red backpacks and are showing them off to their relatives! But each of these “backpacks” is a tick.
There are many ticks that come into contact with ants in nature, but not all of them are dangerous. Some use ants as a fast and maneuverable means of transport.
This is what ticks of the Forania genus do. They are not parasites or competitors for food – red ticks settle in the spring, using plagiolepis as a free bus. When an ant runs near a place suitable for the tick to live, it detaches, waves its paw goodbye, thanks and leaves. This phenomenon, when some creatures use others for transportation, is called “phoresia”.
