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Mutualism &
Possibilities: |
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bedfellows, but sweet fellowship on the same tree ! The ant offers
protection to the mealybug which returns the favour by secreting tiny
droplets of seductive nectar to whet the ant's apetite. The ant 'milks' the mealybug by 'tickling' her body with his antennae. Under his protection, she goes about sucking the sap of the tree in peace. You could say she is the ant's answer to a 'Water Treatment Plant' that produces * 'neWater' ! The ant is called Weaver Ant (Oecophylla smaragdina). For some strange reason, it loves to build nest on Citrus trees. He is well-known as a fierce fighter and apted at 'parachuting' down a tree when it senses danger lurking under the tree canopy. His bite is notoriously painful. |
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One well-known personality in the past used to study Weaver Ants keenly and published his account of their natural history, in particularly, their nest-building ability. He is no other than the late Mr. H. N. Ridley himself -- the first scientific director of Singapore Botanic Gardens !
His keen scholarship on a wide variety of subjects, and especially his intrepid spirit for field experiments and explorations, probably earned him the amicable title 'Mad Ridley'.
Epilogue:
This short and simple essay on mutualism -- between the Weaver Ant and the Mealybug -- can indeed go on and on. It is multi-layered and rich with local flavours. Think about it -- you will probably agree with me that the story do not 'ant' [end] here : ) There is every reason to believe that newer perspectives and possibilities await discovery and discernment.
For example, someday someone might just make history by being the 'first' to mass-produce ant-silk (from the ant larvae) and start a brand new silk (or protein) industry right here in Singapore. Possibilities indeed ! But the Man-Ant in his might must always live in harmony with his Mealybug-Nature and know that his existence on the Tree-Earth is not his alone. That, my dear friends, is the true story of the Weaver Ant and the Mealybug !
* the brand name of the recycled water in Singapore