Ant symbiosis. Close-up of Philidris sp. ants on a Malayan urn vine (Dischidia major), with which they form a symbiotic relationship. This Southeast A
Ant symbiosis. Close-up of Philidris sp. ants on a Malayan urn vine (Dischidia major), with which they form a symbiotic relationship. This Southeast Asian epiphytic vine has inflated hollow leaves, which are used by the ants for nesting. The ants get somewhere safe to raise their young and in return they protect the plant from predatory insects. The plant also gets nutrients from waste products produced by the ants and carbon dioxide from their breath. Adventitious roots (white) growing from the plant stem can also be seen.
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Photo credit: © PATRICK LANDMANN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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