QuoteWhen ant larvae of this species are fed woodpecker droppings, they can become infected with the tapeworm Anomotaenia brevis – and so begins an insidious cycle.
Infected ants start to change color, becoming pale yellow rather than their usual darker brown. They tend not to grow as big as their nest mates, and even start to smell different – in fact, they seem to emit pheromones that other ants interpret as being from a queen.
As such, the workers roll out the red carpet for the infected ants. They bring them food, carry them around, and groom them, to the detriment of the rest of the colony.
"At the molecular level, infected workers showed a profile that was partially queen-like."
These changes were linked to metabolism, the immune system, stress, and aging, which helps explain their longer lives and why other ants give them the royal treatment.
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-wild-parasite-makes-ants-live-longer-and-tricks-others-into-worshipping-them-scientists-finally-know-how
It's like a little French Revolution.