Editor's Summary

21 April 2005

Trapped: ants with altitude

Some tree-living ants make up for a lack of nitrogen in their diet by acting in groups to capture proteinrich flying and jumping prey. Allomerus decemarticulatus, specifically associated with the Amazonian ant-plant Hirtella physophora, takes a different approach. Using fibres plucked from the stem of the host plant, bound together by purpose-grown fungal mycelia, they build a spongy platform for trapping much larger insects. Ants swarm over the captured prey and immobilize it before dividing the spoils. Tough for the larger insect, but as the host obtains nutrition from the ants, it suits the ant-plant fine.

Brief Communications: Insect behaviour:  Arboreal ants build traps to capture prey

Tiny ants construct an elaborate ambush to immobilize and kill much larger insects.

Alain Dejean, Pascal Jean Solano, Julien Ayroles, Bruno Corbara and Jérôme Orivel

doi: 10.1038/434973a

First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (212K) | Supplementary information