How ants and fungi live together in Micropia
In ARTIS-Micropia, the laboratory team cultivates the microbes themselves. Most of them, at least. But some species need specialists who can do the cultivating for us. Parasol ants are one of them.
Ants in Micropia
Have you spotted them yet? The parasol ants in Micropia. These ants live in partnership with the fungus Leucocoprinus gongylophorus. The leafcutter workers snip pieces of leaf, chew them into a soft pulp, and feed this to the fungus. In return, the fungus produces a sweet, nutritious substance that the ants eat. Ant and fungus feed each other and depend on one another completely.
Ants and fungi
Parasol ants are experts at tending their fungus. They keep it fed, healthy and well protected. And they do not work alone. Worker ants grow a thin layer of Streptomyces bacteria on their bodies. These helpful bacteria do no harm to Leucocoprinus but they do attack other fungi that try to invade the garden. In this way, the ants and their fungus are both protected from outsiders.
The end of a partnership
Yet the collaboration between the parasol ants and their fungus in Micropia seems to be coming to an end. In every ant colony, there is only one ant that can lay eggs: the queen. A queen can live for up to fifteen years. The queen in ARTIS-Micropia supported her colony for more than eleven years. Over her lifetime she can lay a maximum of around two hundred million eggs. After that, the supply simply runs out.
What happened to the parasol ants in Micropia
Because a queen is so well protected by the colony, she rarely appears in sight. It is not clear whether the queen has died or whether her egg supply has reached its limit. What we do know is that no new eggs are being laid, and the colony is slowly disappearing. Introducing a new queen is not possible for this species. A queen with a different scent would be rejected by the colony.
Where can I see ants now
Good news. A new colony with a new queen has arrived. A young colony starts small but will grow into a larger community over time. You can watch this entire process unfold over the coming months in ARTIS-Micropia.