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6h ago

Fiji’s Squamellaria Plants Use Partitioned Tubers to Shield Rival Ant Colonies

Researchers have shown that compartmentalized chambers inside Squamellaria tubers prevent lethal clashes, maintaining steady nutrient exchange.

A Squamellaria plant grows on a tree on Fiji. As an epiphyte, its roots don't attach to the ground, so it needs to find an alternate source for nutrients rather than the soil.
The Squamellaria plant in Fiji grows on the branch of a tree and houses several species of ants.
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Overview

  • The study, published in Science on July 10, used noninvasive CT scanning to build 3D models of Squamellaria’s hollow tubers and reveal their thick walls, isolated passages and separate entrances.
  • Removing partition walls in lab experiments triggered immediate, lethal conflicts among previously coexisting ant colonies, confirming structural isolation as the key deterrent.
  • Feeding trials and field observations showed that hosting multiple ant species enhances Squamellaria’s nutrient intake through detritus and waste deposition.
  • This research represents the first documented case of aggressive ant symbionts cohabiting within a single plant host via plant-driven compartmentalization.
  • Scientists say this compartmentalization mechanism provides a general solution for conflict mitigation in multi-partner mutualisms, with broad ecological and evolutionary implications.