Myrmecotrophy

Myrmecotrophy is the ability of plants to obtain nutrients from ants, a form of mutualism.

[1] The dead remains of insects thrown out by the ants are absorbed by the lenticular warts in myrmecophytes like Hydnophytum and Myrmecodia.

[2] Myrmecodia uses its lenticular warts to suck nutrients from the insects thrown out by the ants.

The ants in turn benefit with a secure location to form their colony.

[1] The pitcher plant Nepenthes bicalcarata obtains an estimated 42% of its total foliar nitrogen from ant waste.