Ants defend their host tree

Ants fend off competing plant species by marking their host tree with chemical signals in the depths of tropical rainforests.

The ants inhabit hollow channels inside the tree and aggressively fight off any invaders, including other plants. Yet how these ants recognise their host tree compared to other plants has not been studied.

It has been found that the ants distinguish between their host trees and encroaching species through recognition of the plant's surface waxes.

More about the study.