A study recently came out that documents how a tiny invasive ant is affecting the mighty lion on the savannahs of Kenya, demonstrating the ecological connections between all life regardless of how great or small

a remarkable, but accidental, real-life experiment demonstrating the ecological connections between all life regardless of how great or small, a study recently came out that documents how a tiny ant is affecting the mighty lion on the savannahs of Kenya.

This ant is invasive and it’s far from home. It probably arrived from the island of Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean, early during the last century, and began establishing itself in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya around 20 years ago.

“It showed up in people’s houses and other centers of human activity,” said the study’s senior author, animal ecologist Jacob Goheen, a Professor of Zoology & Physiology and of Botany at the University of Wyoming. Professor Goheen’s expertise is linking theory with data as he works to better understand community dynamics and structure, animal-plant interactions, and conservation biology.

“To the best of our knowledge, it was introduced in bushels of produce from somewhere in the Indian Ocean,” Professor Goheen stated.

The ants, known as big-headed ants, Pheidole megacephala, build and live in huge underground metropolises, like most of the ant species that you’re familiar with. After they invaded, these small ants hunted down and killed the native acacia ants, and ate their pupae, and eggs.

Whistling thorn acacia trees (Vachellia drepanolobium). (Credit: Regina Hart / CC BY-SA 3.0 US)

The native acacia ants live symbiotically with whistling thorn acacia trees, Vachellia drepanolobium. In exchange for food and shelter provided by the trees’ bulbous thorns, acacia ants act as bodyguards, vigorously protecting their landlord-trees from predation by hungry giraffes, elephants and other large herbivores.

“Much to our surprise, we found that these little ants serve as incredibly strong defenders and were essentially stabilizing the tree cover in…

A study recently came out that documents how a tiny invasive ant is affecting the mighty lion on the savannahs of Kenya, demonstrating the ecological connections between all life regardless of how great or small

a remarkable, but accidental, real-life experiment demonstrating the ecological connections between all life regardless of how great or small, a study recently came out that documents how a tiny ant is affecting the mighty lion on the savannahs of Kenya.

This ant is invasive and it’s far from home. It probably arrived from the island of Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean, early during the last century, and began establishing itself in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya around 20 years ago.

“It showed up in people’s houses and other centers of human activity,” said the study’s senior author, animal ecologist Jacob Goheen, a Professor of Zoology & Physiology and of Botany at the University of Wyoming. Professor Goheen’s expertise is linking theory with data as he works to better understand community dynamics and structure, animal-plant interactions, and conservation biology.

“To the best of our knowledge, it was introduced in bushels of produce from somewhere in the Indian Ocean,” Professor Goheen stated.

The ants, known as big-headed ants, Pheidole megacephala, build and live in huge underground metropolises, like most of the ant species that you’re familiar with. After they invaded, these small ants hunted down and killed the native acacia ants, and ate their pupae, and eggs.

Whistling thorn acacia trees (Vachellia drepanolobium). (Credit: Regina Hart / CC BY-SA 3.0 US)

The native acacia ants live symbiotically with whistling thorn acacia trees, Vachellia drepanolobium. In exchange for food and shelter provided by the trees’ bulbous thorns, acacia ants act as bodyguards, vigorously protecting their landlord-trees from predation by hungry giraffes, elephants and other large herbivores.

“Much to our surprise, we found that these little ants serve as incredibly strong defenders and were essentially stabilizing the tree cover in…