▁their ▁n ests ▁are ▁located ▁in ▁living ▁wood , ▁built ▁by ▁t unn eling ▁through ▁the ▁wood ▁under ▁the ▁b ark . ▁They ▁are ▁rarely ▁seen ▁outside ▁of ▁their ▁n ests , ▁which ▁may ▁contribute ▁to ▁their ▁perce ived ▁r ar ity . ▁However , ▁they ▁are ▁considered ▁p est ▁insect s ▁because ▁of ▁damage ▁they ▁can ▁cause ▁to ▁trees , ▁including ▁econom ically ▁important ▁ones ▁such ▁as ▁mang os ▁and ▁trees ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁Bur ser aceae , ▁including ▁A uc ou me a ▁k la ine ana , ▁D ac ry odes ▁bu ett ner i , ▁ ▁and ▁D ac ry odes ▁ed ul is . ▁ ▁Mel iss ot ars us ▁live ▁in ▁association ▁with ▁arm ored ▁scale ▁insect s , ▁family ▁D ias pid idae . ▁A ▁study ▁in ▁Cam ero on ▁estimated ▁that ▁a ▁single ▁D ac ry odes ▁ed ul is ▁tree ▁hosted ▁about ▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁Mel iss ot ars us ▁be cc ari i ▁( lar va e ▁included ) ▁and ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁D ias pis ▁arm ored ▁scale ▁insect s ; ▁the ▁dens ities ▁were ▁about ▁ 4 3 ▁and ▁ 1 5 ▁thousand ▁M . ▁be cc ari i ▁and ▁D ias pis ▁per ▁square ▁met re ▁b ark , ▁respectively . ▁The ▁an ts ▁appear ▁to ▁consume ▁the ▁secret ions ▁used ▁to ▁manufact ure ▁arm ored ▁scales ▁because ▁D ias pid idae ▁are ▁completely ▁n aked ▁when ▁ant - att ended ; ▁the ▁ant ▁nest ▁itself ▁remains ▁completely