Mutualistic interactions between ants and fungi: A review

Déjean Alain, Azémar Frédéric, Naskrecki Piotr, Tindo Maurice, Rossi Vivien, Faucher Christian, Gryta Hervé. 2023. Mutualistic interactions between ants and fungi: A review. Ecology and Evolution, 13 (8):ece3.10386, 13 p.

Résumé : The large amount of dead plant biomass caused by the final extinction events triggered a fungi proliferation that mostly differentiated into saprophytes degrading organic matter; others became parasites, predators, likely commensals, and mutualists. Among the last, many have relationships with ants, the most emblematic seen in the Neotropical myrmicine Attina that cultivate Basidiomycota for food. Among them, leaf-cutting, fungus-growing species illustrate an ecological innovation because they grow fungal gardens from fresh plant material rather than arthropod frass and plant debris. Myrmecophytes shelter “plant-ants” in hollow structures, the domatia, whose inner walls are lined with thin-walled Ascomycota hyphae that, in certain cases, are eaten by the ants, showing a form of convergence. Typically, these Ascomycota have antibacterial properties illustrating cases of farming for protection. Ant gardens, or mutualistic associations between certain ant species and epiphytes, shelter endophytic fungi that promote the growth of the epiphytes. Because the cell walls of certain Ascomycota hyphae remain sturdy after the death of the mycelium, they form resistant fibers used by ants to reinforce their constructions (e.g., galleries, shelters for tended hemipterans, and carton nests). Thus, we saw cases of “true” fungal agriculture involving planting, cultivating, and harvesting Basidiomycota for food with Attina. A convergence with “plant-ants” feeding on Ascomycota whose antibacterial activity is generally exploited (i.e., farming for protection). The growth of epiphytes was promoted by endophytic fungi in ant gardens. Finally, farming for structural materials occurred with, in one case, a leaf-cutting, fungus-growing ant using Ascomycota fibers to reinforce its nests.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : Ascomycota, Formicidae, propriété antimicrobienne, Champignon, relation hôte parasite, Iridomyrmex

Mots-clés libres : Ant constructions, Ant fungiculture, Composite materials, Defoliation, Fungi as food

Classification Agris : F40 - Écologie végétale
L20 - Écologie animale

Champ stratégique Cirad : CTS 1 (2019-) - Biodiversité

Agences de financement hors UE : Agence Nationale de la Recherche

Projets sur financement : (FRA) CEnter of the study of Biodiversity in Amazonia

Auteurs et affiliations

• Déjean Alain, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier (FRA) - auteur correspondant
• Azémar Frédéric, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier (FRA)
• Naskrecki Piotr, Harvard University (USA)
• Tindo Maurice, Université de Douala (CMR)
• Rossi Vivien, CIRAD-ES-UPR Forêts et sociétés (COG) ORCID: 0000-0001-5458-1523
• Faucher Christian, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier (FRA)
• Gryta Hervé, CNRS (FRA)

Source : Cirad-Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/606019/)

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