▁drink ing ▁water ▁and ▁a ▁short ened ▁life - span ▁of ▁inf ected ▁an ts . ▁ ▁The ▁known ▁host ▁species ▁of ▁Rick ia ▁was mann ii ▁are ▁various ▁My rm ica ▁species , ▁the ▁most ▁frequent ▁being ▁My rm ica ▁sc ab rin od is . ▁The ▁fung us ▁was ▁reported ▁from ▁many ▁European ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁Austria , ▁Bulg aria , ▁the ▁Czech ▁Republic , ▁France , ▁Germany , ▁Hung ary , ▁Italy , ▁Luxemb ourg , ▁Slov ak ia , ▁Sloven ia , ▁Spain , ▁Switzerland , ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Pf ieg ler ▁et ▁al . ▁showed ▁that ▁inqu il ine ▁mit es ▁can ▁become ▁inf ected ▁by ▁R . ▁was mann ii , ▁which ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁restricted ▁to ▁the ▁genus ▁My rm ica ▁( H ymen optera : ▁Form ic idae ). ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁report ▁of ▁R . ▁was mann ii ▁from ▁an ▁alternative ▁host ▁in ▁another ▁sub ph yl um ▁( Ch el ic er ata ). ▁These ▁authors ▁also ▁found ▁imm ature ▁fruit ing ▁bodies ▁on ▁a ▁lar va ▁of ▁Micro don ▁my rm ica e ▁( D ip tera : ▁S yr ph idae ), ▁which ▁represents ▁the ▁first ▁report ▁of ▁any ▁Rick ia ▁species ▁on ▁f lies . ▁Rick ia ▁was mann ii ▁is ▁thus ▁capable ▁of ▁inf ect ing ▁alternative , ▁un related ▁host ▁species ▁as ▁they ▁co - oc cur ▁in ▁the ▁ant ▁nest ▁“ m icro hab itat