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Some kinds of ant eaters such as tamanduas will eat some of them, but their main predators probably are little flies in the family Phoridae; they lay their eggs on the necks of the large worker ants (sometimes called soldiers), and their larvae bore into the heads of the ants and feed there till the head falls off. Most of the inside of the head is muscle for the jaws, most of the brain being in the neck, so the ant does not die immediately.
A predator like that, that kills the prey in such a parasite-like way, we call a parasitoid.
The ants have adapted through evolution to avoid the flies as much as they can, and even carry tiny workers on their backs to fend off the flies, but the flies still are a major predator.
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What is the relationship between the phorid fly and the leaf cutter ant?
Food source and pest protection describe the respective ways that leaf cutter ants and fungi benefit from their relationship. The relationship gets called mutualism because the interaction does no harm to either party. Leaf cutter ants inoculate leaves with fungi before colony meals and supply bacteria from their skins to protect the fungi from lethal pests.
How do leaf cutter ants protect themselves?
it could be the smallest recycler. Eats leafs,fruits,flowers,and tubers. Live in central and south America, also lives in the rainforest.
How do leaf cutting ants carry the leaf?
The Same Way They Cut Them With Their Large Pinchers They Hold It Above there Heads...Able To Make A Human Bleed... Though Different Cutter Ants Have Different Jobs...
How many ants are in a leaf cutter ant colony?
How many thousands or millions of ants are in a colony depends on at least 3 separate things: how old the colony is, how many other ant colonies there are in that part of the jungle or forest, sharing the available food supply, and how many ant-eaters - or other predators of ants - live in that location!
How long do black ants live for?
There are about 47 different species of leaf cutter ants discovered so far. Their life expectancy would differ depending on their exact species, other than environmental dangers such as predators.The average lifespan of a worker leaf cutter is about one or two years. The lifespan of the queen however is fifteen to twenty years.Related Link:Leaf-Cutting Ant information, via Cincinnati ZooRelated Video:
Do leaf cutter ants have backbones?
No.
What color is leaf cutter ant?
The leaf cutter ants are a red or brownish color
Where can you buy leaf cutter ants?
There are quite a few places where you can buy leaf cutter ants. The best place to find them is on the internet.
Why do Leaf cutter ants eat fungus?
Because the ants need to eat
What do leaf cutter ants look like?
happy
Can leaf cutter ants camouflage themselves?
dig
How do leaf cutter ants have their young?
Just like other ants queen, they have their young with their queen and leaf as food or barricade
What is a decomposer in Madagascar?
i think it is mushrooms and leaf cutter ants
Why are leaf cutter ants are known as parasol ants?
The ants carry the section of leaf they are bringing back to their home over their head like a parasol.
What kind of an ant lives in the jungle?
Leaf-Cutter Ants are in the Panamanian Jungles
What animal eats an leaf cutter ant?
cheetahs
What eats a grasshopper and a leaf?
a ants eats grasshopers and leafs
