The Amity of the Fungus Garden and the Attine Ant
Many fungi have to possess a special adaptation to survive in harsh environments. One of their ways of dispersing their spores for viability of the species is by depending on the animals. The leafcutter ants or Attine ants, Atta sexdens depends on the garden fungus for reproduction as the queen will lay its eggs on the fungus. At the same time, the fungus could extend its mycelium and grow through the garden to continue its viability of life as the colony of the ants will guard the fungus and remove another foreign fungus thus avoiding the competition between the fungus garden and the other fungus garden species. The leafcutter ants also provide nutrients for the fungus by depositing the anal excreta after chewing leaves to feed the larvae. Every colony of ants of a species will contain only one species of fungus garden in their nest. An example of fungus that associated with this ant species is a coral fungus of genus Apterostigma.
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By :NurAinnurq bt Mohammad Noor