Acacia Ant
Pseudomyrmex Ferruginea
- Color: Light-reddish, yellowish-brown, dark brown
- Worker size: 3 millimetres
- Colony size: ≥4000
- Queen: 8-10 millimetres
Introduction
Acacia Ants are a unique ant species that are worth learning about. They nest in acacia trees. They are light reddish or yellowish brown to very dark brown.
Unique Traits
Treehouse Homes
Acacia Ants nest in the domatia of acacia trees. The domatia are hollow spaces in the tree, often located in the tree’s spines. The Acacia Ants also get provided with nectar from the tree, which supplies them with the carbohydrates they need. Sometimes acacia trees produce “Beltian bodies”, which are protein-rich structures near the tips of the tree’s leaves. This provides the ants with the proteins they need. In exchange for the nectar and proteins, Acacia Ants defend the tree from herbivores and other plants. They are also known to reduce the bacteria on the surface of leaves. Acacia trees are called “myrmecophytes” because they have symbiotic relationships with ants.
Defences
Acacia Ants aggressively attack the tree’s enemies. Its sting is rated as a 1/4 on the Schmidt pain index, the lowest possible rating for an insect sting. It is also described as if a person put a staple into your cheek (in humans).
Habitat & Diet
They live in places near Mexico. Acacia Ants drink nectar and eat the secretions that the Beltian bodies expel, which the acacia tree provides. These secretions are rich in proteins and oils.
Sources:
- https://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Pseudomyrmex_ferrugineus#:~:text=Color%20variable%2C%20from%20light%20reddish,apices%20of%20legs%20usually%20lighter.
- https://omnia.sas.upenn.edu/story/mutualistic-relationship-between-ants-and-acacias
- https://www.britannica.com/animal/acacia-ant
- https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095457886?p=emailAcr7iQRWIJZbA&d=/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095457886#:~:text=Quick%20Reference,Science%20and%20technology%20%E2%80%94%20Life%20Sciences
- https://www.mpg.de/7747062/ants-acacia-plants-pathogens#:~:text=The%20biological%20term%20%E2%80%9Csymbiosis%E2%80%9D%20refers,Gonz%C3%A1lez%2DTeuber
- https://antmaps.org/?mode=diversity&genus=Pseudomyrmex
- https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/domatia/
- https://www.waynesword.net/acacia.htm
- https://lifethroughgreentintedglasses.blog/2020/05/30/the-battle-for-the-great-acacia-part-1/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWelcome%20general%20I%20have%20been,respect%2C%20royalty%2C%20and%20submission.