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Myrmecophily (; literally ''"ant-love"'') is the term applied to positive interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. Myrmecophily refers to mutualistic associations with ants, though in its more general use the term may also refer to commensal or even parasitic interactions. The term ''myrmecophile'' is used mainly for animals that associate with ants. There are an estimated 10,000 species of ants (Formicidae), with a higher diversity in the tropics.〔B. Holldobler and E.O. Wilson, The Ants, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1990.〕 In most terrestrial ecosystems ants are ecologically and numerically dominant, being the main invertebrate predators. As a result, ants play a key role in controlling arthropod richness, abundance, and community structure.〔K. Fiedler, B. Holldobler, and P. Seufert, "Butterflies and ants: The communicative domain," Cellular and molecular life sciences, vol. 52, 1996, pp. 14-24.〕 There is evidence that the evolution of myrmecophilous interactions has contributed to the abundance and ecological success of ants,〔〔B. Holldobler and E.O. Wilson, Journey to the Ants, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1994.〕 by ensuring a dependable and energy-rich food supply and thus providing a competitive advantage for ants over other invertebrate predators.〔N. Bluthgen, N.E. Stork, and K. Fiedler, "Bottom-up control and co-occurrence in complex communities: honeydew and nectar determine a rainforest ant mosaic," Oikos, vol. 106, 2004, pp. 344-358.〕 Most myrmecophilous associations are opportunistic, unspecialized, and facultative (meaning both species are capable of surviving without the interaction), though obligate mutualisms (those in which one or both species are dependent on the interaction for survival) have also been observed for many species.〔B. Stadler and T. Dixon, Mutualism: Ants and their insect partners, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.〕 ==Myrmecophile== A myrmecophile is an organism that lives in association with ants. Myrmecophiles may have various roles in their host ant colony. Many consume waste materials in the nests, such as dead ants, dead larvae, or fungi growing in the nest. Some myrmecophiles, however, feed on the stored food supplies of ants, and a few are predatory on ant eggs, larvae, or pupae. Others benefit the ants by providing a food source for them. Most associations are facultative, benefiting one or both participants but not being necessary to their survival, but many myrmecophilous relationships are obligate, meaning one or the other participant requires the relationship for survival. Myrmecophilous associations are best known in butterflies of the family Lycaenidae. Many lycaenid caterpillars produce nectar by specialized organs and communicate with the ants through sound and vibrations.〔Pierce NE, Braby MF, Heath A, Lohman DJ, Mathew J, Rand DB, Travassos MA. 2002. The ecology and evolution of ant association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera.) ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 47: 733-771. (PDF )〕 The association with ants is believed to reduce the parasitisation of the butterfly caterpillars. There are myrmecophilous beetles in the families Coccinellidae (e.g. the ladybird ''Thalassa saginata''), Aphodiidae, Scarabaeidae, Lucanidae, Cholevidae, Pselaphidae, Staphylinidae, Histeridae and Ptiliidae (some treated here as subfamilies). In ant-beetle associations, the myrmecophilous Staphylinids are the most diverse of the beetle families.〔Lapeva-Gjonova, Albena (April 2013). “Ant-Associated Beetle Fauna in Bulgaria: A Review and New Data”. ''Psyche'' (Cairo: Hindawi Pub. Co.) 2013: 1-14〕 Myrmecophilous associations are also seen in various other insects such as aphids and treehoppers, as well as the hoverfly genus ''Microdon'' and several other groups of flies. Some mites and spiders are also myrmecophilous, particularly some oribatid mites, which have been found to be obligate myrmecophiles. Other myrmecophile groups include * Orthoptera, like the cricket ''Myrmecophilus acervorum'' * Diptera, like the stratiomyid fly ''Clitellaria obtusa'' * Molluscs, like ''Allopeas myrmekophilos'' The first major work in cataloguing British myrmecophiles was done by Horace Donisthorpe in his 1927 book ''The Guests of British Ants''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Myrmecophily」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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