Acacia Ant

Description:

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 live in symbiosis with the bullhorn acacia (Acacia cornigera) throughout Central America. (see notes) The ants' sting is very painful, causing a lasting burning and throbbing effect.

Habitat:

Bullhorn Acacia tree in a rural garden surrounded by savannah.

Notes:

The symbiotic relationship begins when a newly mated queen gets attracted by the odour from the tree and starts nesting inside the large hollow acacia thorns. If an acacia thorn has not been opened by a previous occupant, the queen gnaws a circular hole to enter the thorn cavity. She lays 15 to 20 eggs, rears her first brood while remaining secluded inside the thorn. As the number of ants reach 50-100, workers start patrolling the open plant surface next to their home thorn, and as the population reaches 200-400 workers become more aggressive and attack other smaller nearby colonies, ward off phytophagous insects that make landing attempts near the thorn more effectively. As gardeners, the ants aggressively attack creatures of all sizes attracted by the acacia leaves, killing insects such as crickets and stinging the heads of mammals such as goats. Additionally, the ants scout the ground around the tree for seedlings and destroy any competitors they find. In compensation, special glands at the base of the tree's leaves produce a nectar rich in sugar and amino acids, and the tips of the leaves sprout Beltian bodies, small nutritious packets of oils and proteins.