The ant species Eruidum is an expert at disguise and regularly steals food from neighbouring Eruidum nests. The ants, found from Central America to the Amazon, were studied by a group from the University of Colorado at Boulder who discovered how the insect's deception worked.
Most ant species kill off nest raiders, but the gentler Eruidum only drags invaders away from the entrance, in the process marking would-be thieves with the nest's unique identifying odour. The guards then fail to recognise the robber as a stranger on its next attempt to steal food.
The researchers found that ant felons regularly stole from one another, with a single piece of purloined food moving through up to six nests.