: ▁isol ation ▁of ▁fung al ▁gard ens ▁Le af c utter ▁an ts ▁protect ▁and ▁n our ish ▁various ▁species ▁of ▁fung us ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁food ▁in ▁a ▁system ▁known ▁as ▁ant - f ung us ▁mut ual ism . ▁Le af c utter ▁an ts ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁genus ▁Ac rom y rm ex ▁are ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁mut ual istic ▁relationship ▁with ▁Bas idi om yc ete ▁fung i . ▁Ant ▁colon ies ▁are ▁closely ▁associated ▁with ▁their ▁fung us ▁colon ies , ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁co - e vol ved ▁with ▁a ▁consistent ▁vertical ▁line age ▁of ▁fung i ▁in ▁individual ▁colon ies . ▁Ant ▁populations ▁defend ▁against ▁the ▁horizontal ▁transmission ▁of ▁foreign ▁fung i ▁to ▁their ▁fung al ▁col ony , ▁as ▁this ▁transmission ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁compet itive ▁stress ▁on ▁the ▁local ▁fung al ▁garden . ▁ ▁Inv aders ▁are ▁identified ▁and ▁removed ▁by ▁the ▁ant ▁col ony , ▁in hib iting ▁competition ▁and ▁fung al ▁inter bre eding . ▁This ▁active ▁isol ation ▁of ▁individual ▁populations ▁helps ▁maintain ▁the ▁gen etic ▁pur ity ▁of ▁the ▁fung al ▁col ony , ▁and ▁this ▁mechanism ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁sym pat ric ▁spe ci ation ▁within ▁a ▁shared ▁habitat . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁E volution ary ▁pressure ▁Ring ▁species ▁Selection ▁S ynt opy ▁Pier is ▁o ler ace a ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁ ▁Category : E col ogy ▁Category : E volution <0x0A> </s> ▁Y ash oda ▁Red dy ▁( 5 ▁August ▁ 1 9