Symbiosis between ants, Azteca sp., and Inga plant that provides nectar in bowls visible at base of leaves - see description
RMID:Image ID:E3Y7K6
Image details
Contributor:
Martin Shields / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
E3Y7K6File size:
53.8 MB (1.3 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
4896 x 3840 px | 41.5 x 32.5 cm | 16.3 x 12.8 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
14 April 2014More information:
These Azteca ants live in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with the Inga plant. The ants protect the plant from herbivorous insects which they attack. In exchange the plant provides nectar for the ants. The nectar bowls are visible where the bases of the leaf stalks diverge from one another. The lower ant in this image is feeding at a nectar station. In rainforest, Chilamate, Costa Rica