Blade-running: An efficient yet simple behavior to potentially combat summit disease in ants

Background Social systems are attractive targets for parasites. Once infiltrated they are able to manipulate the host to contribute to their further dispersal. A wide array of parasites causes summit disease: driving their host up on elevated points on plants from where propagules are then dispersed. In ants, previous observations suggested the existence of a simple social prophylactic strategy that could help reduce the pathogen’s dispersal success through early corpse disposal e.g., in the case of summit-causing pathogenic Pandora fungus. Results We experimentally tested the efficiency of a simple prophylactic mechanisms in a large nest complex by modelling summit diseased ants with the use of fresh uninfected ant corpses and dummies fixed to grass blades. Indeed, ants discovered and disposed of corpses very efficiently, primarily of those close to the nest margin. Conclusions We argue that this behavior is not necessarily specific, but rather part of a general set of behaviors that could also be of use to fight other pathogens as well as those that cause summit disease.