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myrmecochory
Oct. 11th, 2016 07:48 ammyrmecochory (mir-mih-koo-KOH-ree) - n., the dispersal (of seeds, fruits, etc.) by ants.
As when the harvester ants carry seeds across my yard, give the tasty part to their larvae, then leave the hard, inedible seeds scattered around the mound. Up to around 5% of flowering plants worldwide are myrmecochorous, with this mutualism being more common in drier (close to Mediterranean) climates. Coined in the early 20th century from Greek roots mýrmēks, ant + khoreíā, circular dance, which has been adapted in modern scientific roots as -chory, specifying a means of seed dispersal.
---L.
As when the harvester ants carry seeds across my yard, give the tasty part to their larvae, then leave the hard, inedible seeds scattered around the mound. Up to around 5% of flowering plants worldwide are myrmecochorous, with this mutualism being more common in drier (close to Mediterranean) climates. Coined in the early 20th century from Greek roots mýrmēks, ant + khoreíā, circular dance, which has been adapted in modern scientific roots as -chory, specifying a means of seed dispersal.
---L.
