<p><b>A carpenter ant, <i>Camponotus pennsylvanicus</i>, Hosts the Mutualistic Bacterial Endosymbiont <i>Blochmannia</i></b>.
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Like all species of the ant genus <i>Camponotus</i>, the wood-nesting <i>C. pennsylvanicus</i> (shown here) possesses an obligate bacterial endosymbiont called <i>Blochmannia</i>. The small genome of <i>Blochmannia</i> retains genes to biosynthesize essential amino acids and other nutrients (Gil et al. 2003), suggesting the bacterium plays a role in ant nutrition. Many <i>Camponotus</i> species are also infected with <i>Wolbachia</i>, an endosymbiont that is widespread across insect groups.
(Photo courtesy of Adam B. Lazarus.)
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Wernegreen JJ: <i>Endosymbiosis: Lessons in Conflict Resolution.</i> PLoS Biol 2/3/2004: e68. <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0020068">https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0020068</a>