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Acacia-ant symbiosis is the interaction between myrmecophilous Vachellia trees (ant acacias) and ants that nest on them (acacia ants).Obligate acacia ants dwell in the gall-like domatia within the swolen stipular spines of African or Central American ant acacia species, and they also take the food (nectar or Beltian bodies) offered by the tree.
The acacia ant (Pseudomyrmex ferruginea) is a species of ant of the genus Pseudomyrmex. These arboreal , wasp-like ants have an orange-brown body around 3 mm in length and very large eyes. The acacia ant is best known and named for living in symbiosis with the bullhorn acacia ( Acacia cornigera ) throughout Central America .
Pseudomyrmex ferruginea ants on a myrmecophyte tree, Vachellia cornigera, the bullhorn acacia of Central America. Myrmecophytes (/ m ər ˈ m ɛ k ə f aɪ t /; literally "ant-plant") are plants that live in a mutualistic association with a colony of ants. There are over 100 different genera of myrmecophytes. [1]
The symbiotic relationship between the bullhorn acacia and P. ferrugineus ants is of a mutualistic nature for both species. This relationship has many physiological factors in both the acacia and ants. The behaviors that arise from these factors are currently known to include: Acacia defense by ants and nectar secretion by acacia resulting in ...
The big-headed ants disrupted the symbiotic relationship between the region’s native acacia ants and whistling-thorn trees. Illustrations show how the lack of trees impacts the lion’s hunting ...
One of the best-known examples of ant-plant mutualism is in bullhorn acacias (Acacia cornigera) and their tending Pseudomyrmex ants in Central America. [3] [16] This system was studied by Daniel Janzen in the late 1960s, who provided some of the first experimental evidence that ants significantly reduce herbivory rates of myrmecophytes.
In addition, whistling thorn acacias are myrmecophytes that have formed a mutualistic relationship with some species of acacia ants. In exchange for shelter in the bulbous spines and nectar secretions, these ants appear to defend the tree against herbivores, such as elephants and giraffes, [12] [13] as well as herbivorous insects.
Leafcutter ants farm various fungi from the Lepiotaceae family in a symbiotic relationship. The ants care for and protect the fungi, providing them with plenty of nutritious plant matter and ...