The Secret Society of Ants
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Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, Maryland 21037

Mason S. Creative Commons
Acacia Ant
Ant societies are fascinating examples of organization, but the coevolution of an ant society with a plant involved new task demands on the colony. In our April Earth Optimism Webinar, tropical biologist Sabrina Amador Vargas will take you inside the world of acacia ants and the acacia trees they depend on for survival. She’ll reveal how this mutualistic tree-insect relationship has shaped the behavior of acacia ants and the plant morphology. She’ll also highlight how these obligate relationships promote innovative behaviors in other organisms interacting with the ant-acacia mutualism.