Symbiosis between ants, Azteca sp., and Inga plant that provides nectar in bowls visible at base of leaves - see description
These Azteca ants live in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the Inga plant. The ants protect the plant from herbivorous insects which they attack. In exchange the plant provides nectar for the ants. The nectar bowls are visible where the bases of the leaf stalks diverge from one another. In rainforest, Chilamate, Costa Rica
Size: 6692px × 4912px
Photo credit: © MShieldsPhotos / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: america, animal, animal-plant, ant, ants, arthropod, azteca, central, chilamate, community, costa, defending, ecological, ecology, feeding, habitat, inga, insect, insect-plant, interacting, interaction, leaves, mutualism, mutualistic, nectar, neotropical, niche, plant, plants, protecting, rainforest, relationship, rica, symbiosis, symbiotic, tropical
