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🐝 Ants, Bees & Wasps

Parasitic Acacia Ant

Pseudomyrmex nigropilosus

About

A cheater species that occupies acacia thorns but provides little defensive benefit to the host tree. Unlike mutualist acacia ants, it does not attack herbivores or clear competing vegetation.

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Did You Know?

It exploits the mutualism by taking food from the acacia without reciprocating with defense, essentially freeloading.