Finding a nest: Ant-associated silverfish (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) moving outside granivorous Messor nests (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract

Ant nests accommodate a diverse group of strictly associated arthropods. Most of these arthropods are seldom observed outside their host nest, emphasizing significant gaps in our knowledge regarding their biology. We recorded a series of field observations of lepismatid silverfish (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) moving outside their usual Messor nest habitat in southern Spain and France. We illustrate how they move between different nests and locate nests by closely tracking the foraging trails of their hosts. Additionally, we confirm a prior observation that they can follow their host ants when they migrate to a new nest site. Our observations offer new insights into the hidden biology and the intricate interactions of specialized arthropod symbionts with their hosts within a spatial context.