myrmecochory

Myrmecochory is a seed dispersal strategy in which ants move seeds that bear nutrient-rich appendages called elaiosomes. The elaiosome serves as a food reward for foraging ants, which transport the diaspores to their nests, feed on the elaiosome, and discard the remaining seed in a waste chamber or nearby soil. The seeds are often buried or deposited in nutrient-rich microhabitats, which can enhance germination and seedling establishment.

The interaction is mutualistic: ants obtain a readily consumable food source, while plants gain dispersal away from the parent plant, reduced seed predation by seed specialists, and improved chances of germination in favorable microhabitats. Arguably, it also decreases competition with the parent plant by moving seeds to new locations. The anatomy and chemistry of elaiosomes attract a wide range of ant species, and the strength of the mutualism can vary with local ant communities and environmental conditions.

Myrmecochory is widespread across the world, particularly in temperate and tropical ecosystems, and has evolved in numerous plant lineages. Elaiosome-bearing seeds are found in several plant families, including Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and various herbaceous groups, though the precise taxonomic distribution is diverse. In ecological and evolutionary terms, myrmecochory represents a well-studied example of a plant–ant mutualism that links seed dispersal, food for ants, and the geology of soil microhabitats in which seeds germinate.