For example,
many tropical ant-plants provide their mutualistic ant
partners with nutrient-rich food bodies that have particularly
thin-walled cells [38,39].
In addition, many ant-plants
that accommodate their ant partners inside hollow stems
have pre-defined ‘weak spots’ (prostomata)
In addition, many ant-plants
that accommodate their ant partners inside hollow stems
have pre-defined ‘weak spots’ (prostomata) where the stem
wall is thinner and lacks vascular bundles and latex vessels,
which allows ants to easily chew entrance holes and colonise
new stems [40]; prostomata can also act as ecological
filters if their size and shape favour particular ant partners
and excludes others [41].