Myrmecophily
Myrmecophily ( , ) is the term applied to positive interspecies Association (ecology) , associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. Myrmecophily refers to Mutualism (biology) , mutualistic associations with ants, though in its more general use, the term may also refer to commensalism , commensal or even parasite , parasitic interactions. The term "myrmecophile" is used mainly for animals that associate with ants. An estimated 10,000 species of ants (Formicidae) are known, with a higher biodiversity , diversity in the tropics.B. Holldobler and E.O. Wilson, The Ants, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1990. In most terrestrial ecosystems, ants are ecologically and numerically dominant, being the main invertebrate predators. As a result, ants play a key role in controlling arthropod richness, abundance, and community structure.K. Fiedler, B. Holldobler, and P. Seufert, "Butterflies and ...
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