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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. [2]
The soldier ants are extremely aggressive, patrolling the trees twenty-four hours a day. Any disturbance to the tree alerts ants, who then recruit more workers from inside the horn domatia. These ants defend the Acacia by biting, violently stinging, and pruning any trespassers. The ants keep the plant free from other insects, vertebrate ...
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.
Vachellia collinsii exhibits a symbiotic relationship with several species of ants. Some noted species include Pseudomyrmex spinicola and Pseudomyrmex ferruginea.The ant-Vachellia system involving this species has been studied by ecologists like Daniel Janzen in Palo Verde National Park and Santa Rosa National Park, which are both located in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica.
Domatia occupied by ants are called myrmecodomatia. [2] An important class of myrmecodomatia comprise large, hollow spines of certain acacias such as Acacia sphaerocephala, in which ants of the genera Pseudomyrmex and Tetraponera make their nests. Plants that provide myrmecodomatia are called myrmecophytes. The variety of the plants that ...
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 ...
Pseudomyrmex is a genus of stinging, wasp-like ants in the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae. They are large-eyed, slender ants, found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the New World . Distribution and habitat