Ectatomma tuberculatum feeding on plant's gland, Orito, Colombia

This plant had several large ants feeding on the gland openings. I don't know the exact species but this seems to be a symbiotic relation between the ant and plant.

comments (3)

Christine Young

Lion

Just a total wild guess - maybe compare to Ectatomma tuberculatum? Posted 6 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Wow, I think that is a match. Visually the same, distribution matches, and I found photos showing the same gland feeding behavior:
  https://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Taxonomic-List-of-Ant-Genera/Ectatomma/i-kzgqnXr
  
  Thanks! Posted 6 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Yay! You're welcome :) Posted 6 years ago

The Ectatomma tuberculatum

"Ectatomma tuberculatum" is a Neotropical species of ant in the genus "Ectatomma". Common in the Neotropics, the species is found from Mexico to Argentina. It is a host to the related social parasite "Ectatomma parasiticum", the only known parasitic species in the subfamily Ectatomminae.

Info 5 0

Similar species: Wasps, Bees, Sawflies And Ants

Species identified by Ferdy Christant