Question

Assume that you are interested in the life cycle of an ant parasite and the mechanism it uses to disperse its eggs. you find that ant larvae are infected when they eat bird droppings containing the parasite's eggs. as the ant matures, the parasite eggs grow in the abdomen of the ant. the abdomen swells with parasite eggs and turns red, causing it to resemble a berry. you find that berries and other fruit are an important part of the diet of local birds. further study shows that the abdomen becomes red to attract birds and fool them into eating the ants, thinking they are berries. consequently, birds spread the parasite eggs through their droppings, which infect the larvae of other ants. after considering the reproductive strategy of the parasite, what is the purpose of the bird as an intermediate host in the life cycle of the parasite?

Answer 1

The answer is spread/dispersal of the parasite. They increase the probability of infection of the definitive host. The intermediate host can either be present or absent in the parasitic life cycle. They are considered an ecological than a physiological phenomenon for the transmission of the parasite.