Xenobiosis

Xenobiosis occurs when two or more species live communally but do not share the work of raising each other's young.

Within the insects, xenobiosis can be seen in some species of ant. One species will live within the colony of the other species. One species may even be fed by the other but each species raise their own young and do not assist with the raising of young of the other species.

A photograph of the ant Diacamma rugosum. Ants of the genus Diacamma form compound nests and live xenobiotically with ants of the genus Strumigenys.
Photograph by CharlesLam licensed under Creative Commons.

Related terms

• Formicidae
• Symbiosis

Related groups of terms

• General biology

Related pages on this web site

• Ants

See other words beginning with X