Life span of the host increased by the parasite
Scientific India|May - June 2021
Worker ants live longer if they are infected with parasite tapeworm. Tapeworm (Anomotaenia brevis) infected ant (Temnothorax nylanderi) workers have a longer life span than uninfected workers in the same ant colony.
Anshul Watts and Ritesh Kumar Raipuria
Life span of the host increased by the parasite

Parasites are the organisms that are completely dependent on the host for their survival. Further, parasite infestation affects the host's morphology, physiology, metabolism and behaviour, which ultimately reduces the host's fitness. Thus, parasites prefer the host species that cannot be killed easily so that parasites can complete their life cycle within the host. Further, if the parasite uses any intermediate host, it should provide an opportunity to reach the final host to complete its life cycle.

This story is from the May - June 2021 edition of Scientific India.

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This story is from the May - June 2021 edition of Scientific India.

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