Graz researchers find infected ants change taste to consume peroxide

Ants change their taste response when infected, allowing them to consume normally harmful hydrogen peroxide as a defence against fungal infections, researchers at the University of Graz have found, ORF reported.

The flat-breasted trail ant gets the substance from aphid corpses and plants infested by aphids. Healthy ants avoid it because of its bitter, metallic taste.

Researchers, including zoologist Dalial Freitak, found that infection changes the ants’ gene activity. The Malvolio gene appears to play a central role by influencing their sense of taste and feeding behaviour, said Jason Rissanen of the university’s Institute of Biology.

Further research will examine the molecular mechanism and investigate whether similar adaptations occur in other animals, including honeybees.