Extensive Field Observations Throw Light on the Evolution of Mimicry in <scp> <i>Camponotus lateralis</i> </scp> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Journal: Ecology and Evolution
Year: 2025

The Mediterranean ant-ant association between <i>Camponotus lateralis</i> and <i>Crematogaster scutellaris</i> has fascinated naturalists for long, with a focus on documenting the attraction of <i>Ca. lateralis</i> workers to <i>Cr. scutellaris</i> trails. Little attention, in contrast, has been put on similar behaviors between other <i>Camponotus</i> and <i>Crematogaster</i> species. Moreover, neither the adaptive value of mimicry in <i>Ca. lateralis</i>, which mimics the color patterns of diff