Hirtella physophora
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Chrysobalanaceae
Genus: Hirtella
Species:
H. physophora
Binomial name
Hirtella physophora
Mart. & Zucc.

Hirtella physophora is a species of plant in the family Chrysobalanaceae. It forms an association with the ant species, Allomerus decemarticulatus. The ants live in honeycombed cylinders they attach to the plant's stems.[1] The plant nearly always has these ants associated with it.[2]

References

  1. ^ Dejean A, Solano PJ, Ayroles J, Corbara B, Orivel J (2005). "Arboreal ants build traps to capture prey". Nature. 434 (7036): 973. doi:10.1038/434973a. PMID 15846335.
  2. ^ The effect of habitat fragmentation on communities of mutualists: Amazonian ants and their host plants Emilio M. Bruna, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos and Sylvia Heredia Biological Conservation Volume 124, Issue 2, July 2005, Pages 209-216


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