1995/05/01 by Klaus Jaffé, Cathy Ramos, Solange Issa · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant and animal studies #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies #Biology #Mutualism (biology) #Nest (protein structural motif) #Facultative #Predation #Ecology #Trophic level #Termitidae #Hymenoptera #Predator
paper · doi:10.1093/aesa/88.3.328
openalex publication_date 1995/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/26
The neotropical termite Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky) cohabits with various ants species. During the wet season, ants use part of the termite nest as shelter and may prey on live or dead, or both, termite workers, while providing the termites with both nitrogenrich nutrients and an improved nest defense. Radioactive markers indicated that nutrients How from ants to termites and vice versa. The frequency with which termites associate with various ant species varies, apparently with the risk of predation by the ants. Monads bispinosa (Oliver), the most common species of cohabiting ant, is the most susceptible to the chemical defense of the termite and is unable to prey on live termites. Camponotus abdominalis (F.), in contrast, is an aggressive predator that captures live termite workers and is rarely associated with termite nests. These associations may represent an incipient form of facultative or opportunistic mutualism.