The omnipresence of ants is commonly attributed to their eusocial organization and division
of labor, however, bacteria in their nests may facilitate their success. Like many other …

Ant-plant defensive mutualism is a widely studied phenomenon, where ants protect their
host plants (myrmecophytes) against herbivores in return for the provision of nesting sites …

The microbiome of built structures has considerable influence over an inhabitant's well-
being, yet the vast majority of research has focused on human-built structures. Ants are well …

Ant-plant mutualisms are abundant in the tropics and are popular models for ecological
study, but investigating the origin and evolution of such systems requires a phylogenetic …

In studies of ant-plant mutualisms, the role that ants play in increasing the growth rates of
their plant partners is potentially a key beneficial service. In the field, we measured the …

In the myrmecophytic mutualistic relationship between Aztec a ants and Cecropia plants
both species receive protection and exchange nutrients. The presence of microorganisms in …

A holistic understanding of superorganism biology requires study of colony sociometry, or
the quantitative relationships among growth, nest architecture, morphology, and behavior …

Background Symbiotic ant-plant associations, in which ants live on plants, feed on plant-
provided food, and protect host trees against threats, are ubiquitous across the tropics, with …

How a symbiosis originates and is maintained are important evolutionary questions.
Symbioses in myrmecophytes (plants providing nesting for ants) are believed to be …

Comprehension of the benefits involved in mutualisms is crucial to disentangle the role of
interactions in the structure and functioning of populations, communities and ecosystems. In …