What is Myrmecophile?
A '''myrmecophile''' is an [[animal]] that lives with [[ant]]s. A myrmecophile may help the ants, or it may be a [[parasite]] of the ants by eating them or their food. Many myrmecophiles eat waste in ant nests, such as dead ants or [[fungus|fungi]] growing in the nest. Some myrmecophiles make food that the ants can eat. [[Aphid]]s do this when they make [[honeydew]]. Ants may even [[farm]] or tend some [[insect]]s, such as aphids, that make food for them. Other myrmecophiles eat the food supplies of ants, and a few eat ant [[Egg (biology)|eggs]], [[larva]]e, or [[pupa]]e. One [[family (biology)|family]] (group) of [[butterfly|butterflies]] lives with ants and sometimes makes food for the ants. The ants help the butterfly [[caterpillar]]s by keeping away other animals that want to eat or hurt the caterpillars. Other animals that live with ants include some beetles, flies, mites, and spiders. Flies in the [[genus]] (group) called ''[[Microdon]]'' live in ant nests and eat waste or eat [[larva]]l ants. {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Insects]]