ch they live. In the Amazon rain forests there is a tremendous diversity of vegetation. If you walk through the forest no plant typically dominates and you may not see any two plants of the same species within hundreds of yards. One notable exception is the Cordia tree. On occasion you will find a large stands of these trees with no other plants in the vicinity. In addition these stands are typically encircled by large barren strips of land. The reason for this phenomenon is the presence of a small ant species that lives within the stems of these trees. They are very protective killing any plant feeding insects. They will also swarm on and attack any larger animal venturing into the stand. In addition any other species of plants that germinates with in the stand quickly shrivels and dies due to the ants stinging and injecting venom into the terminal buds. As might be expected the barren areas surrounding the stand of trees is similarly cleared by the stinging of these ants. Of course the ants benefit from this symbiotic relationship since they are provided by a safe bountiful location for their nests. And of course the trees benefit as they are provided with an endless competitively free environment in which to expand their growth. People living in the rain forest refer to the barren areas as the “devil’s garden” and refrain from planting crops there.
Honey Ants. Ants vary tremendously as to their food preferences, size and colony locations. The honey ants are among some of the more interesting species. Normally they live in arid desert regions of the world; their primary diet is honeydew, which they collect from aphids and other homopterans. In such dry areas, honeydew-producing insects are common during the rainy season only when host plants prevail. Because in most areas this season only lasts a few months, honey ants have developed a means of ‘storing’ honeydew from season to season. A special form of worker called the replete, or reservoir ant, accomplishes this. These repletes are fed huge amounts of honeyd