Norwich -- Plant ants generally live in harmony with their hosts, but a British-Brazilian study finds that when the ants run out of space they can become destructive.
The research led by Douglas Yu of the University of East Anglia and Glenn Shepard of Sao Paulo University is said to be the first to document that ants bore into live trees.
Scientists said ants and certain species of plants have harmonious relationships. Myrmecophytes, also known as ant-plants, have hollow stems or roots and ant colonies often take residence in those hollows. To protect their homes, the ants patrol the area around the plant, killing insects that want to eat the plant's leaves.
