Host following of an ant associate during nest relocation

Abstract

Ant nests are relatively stable and long-lasting microhabitats that attract a diverse group of arthropods. Particular stressors, however, can trigger ants to relocate their nest to a new site. It is unclear how associated arthropods respond to occasional nest moving of their host. Here, I report field observations which showed that the potentially parasitic larvae of the beetle Clytra quadripunctata follow their red wood ant host during nest relocation, either by crawling on their own or by being carried by the host workers. These observations shed new light on the spatial dynamics between ants and their associates.