Acacia-ant symbiosis

Obligate acacia ants dwell in the gall-like domatia within the swollen stipular spines of African or Central American ant acacia species, and they also take the food (nectar or Beltian bodies) offered by the tree.

Facultative (non-obligate) acacia ants often nest on stems instead of in gall-like domatia, and tend to be non-mutualistic.

[1][2][3] Four acacia ant species are symbiotic with Vachellia drepanolobium: Crematogaster mimosae, C. nigriceps, and Tetraponera penzigi are obligate and mustualistic symbionts, whereas C. sjostedti is facultative and the least mustualistic, and it even facilitates attack on the tree by beetles.

[3] Vachellia bullockii, V. burttii, V. bussei, V. elatior, V. erioloba, V. erythrophloea, V. luederitzii var.

[2] Facultative acacia ants in Central America include P. boopis, P. gracilis, P. hesperius, P. ita, P. kuenckeli, P. opaciceps, Crematogaster and Camponotus species.