Twenty years ago, the savannah was covered with them. These trees provided food and shelter for native acacia ants and in turn, the ants defended the trees against animals, like elephants ...

These thorny trees had developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the local acacia ant: The trees provide shelter and food for the ants and in return they use their stinging bite to ...

The research focuses on the ecological interactions that happen between four native ant species and their host acacia trees in Kenya. “This work presents a new method set for studying the costs and ...

The invading insects kill local acacia ants wherever they find them. And other studies have shown that without defending ants, pachyderms tore down the thorn trees five to seven times more often.

Ants known to defend certain species of Acacia trees from elephant predation deter the massive herbivores so effectively that they are impacting entire savanna ecosystems, according to a study ...

These thorny trees had developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the local acacia ant: The trees provide shelter and food for the ants and in return they use their stinging bite to ...

we’re discussing a few species of related trees along with a few species of ants that live on those trees. So, let’s meet the ant acacia tree (and its ants). There are three species of ant acacias ...

Native acacia ants are killed by the smaller invasive big-headed ants, leaving whistling-thorn trees defenseless against elephants. Credit: Pat Milligan When people talk about the interconnectedness ...

The decline of acacia ants due to the invasion of big-headed ants has allowed elephants to destroy more acacia trees. This reduction in tree cover has forced lions to alter their hunting ...

The ant acacia is a small, thorny tree found in different parts of Costa Rica. It is famous, not for its impressive thorns or its ability to thrive in harsh environmental conditions, but because of ...