Mechanisms Underlying Infection and Behavioral Manipulation of Ants: Unique or Ubiquitous?

Parasite manipulation of host behavior, as an effective strategy to establish transmission, has evolved multiple times across taxa, including fungi. Major strides have been made to propose molecular mechanisms that underlie manipulative parasite-host interactions including the manipulation of carpenter ant behavior by . This research suggests that the secretion of parasite proteins and light-driven biological rhythms are likely involved in the infection and manipulation biology of and other manipulating parasites. Here, we discuss research on considering findings from other (fungal) parasites that either are relatively closely related (e.g., other insect- and plant-infecting Hypocreales) or also manipulate insect behavior (e.g., Entomophthorales). As such, this review aims to put forward this question: Are the mechanisms behind manipulation and infection unique, or did they convergently evolve? From this discussion, we pose functional hypotheses about the infection biology of that will need to be addressed in future studies.