Ant larvae control parental care by using odor signals

In the clonal raider ant (Ooceraea biroi), workers in a colony alternate between caring for larvae and laying eggs in a coordinated cycle. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena have discovered a brood pheromone released by larvae of clonal raider ants that temporarily suppresses egg-laying in adult ants.
Source
Phys.org
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