Chemical profile of ants adapts rapidly

The bodies of ants and other insects are covered with a thin, wax-like layer that protects them from desiccation and enables them to exchange information, in social insects, for instance, to differentiate between enemies and nestmates. Its double function makes this layer not only essential to survive but also unique to the extent that it can serve as an unambiguous characteristic for the identification of an insect species, similar to a fingerprint. The layer makes it possible to differentiate