This chapter introduces cordyceps, nest structure, recruitment, and pangrams.

Cordyceps is a fungus that attacks insects. In the wild, ants sometimes get infected with it. Unfortunately, this infection is fatal as the ant's tissue is replaced by the fungus. Here is a neat video about Cordyceps.

While the most common nest structure revolves around a single reproductive female called the queen, there are species with multi-queen structures. Here's an interesting article about ant nest structures. Myrmeca's structure is a multi-queen structure, except each reproductive female is not called a queen but rather a royal female. The queen in Myrmeca is a figurehead of power. The real power is with the collective, a collection of royals.

Insect recruitment is when another insect tries to recruit the assistance of a nestmate. In a way, recruiting could be analogous to voting because insects may choose not to follow. For example, a new bee queen will recruit followers before leaving to establish her own colony in a process called budding. Some ants also "bud" new colonies. In Myrmeca, the colony allows royals to vote on potential leaders. Royals who recruit the most followers (through voting, instead of leaving) are thus given greater power.

I wrote a 32-word pangram for this chapter. Can you figure out why the Myrmecans would use it, the symbolism inferred? Not sure what a pangram is?