Collembola

Springtails

Castano-Meneses et al (2017) - Abstract Four species of Collembola were found in nests of the ant genera Myrmicocrypta, Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex of the tribe Attini (Formicidae:'Myrmicinae). The panmyrmecophilic collembolan Cyphoderus (Lepidocyrtidae: Cyphoderinae) was the most abundant and was associated with all the ants. The collembolan genus Mucrosomia (Isotomidae: Anurophorinae) was found for the first time in ant nests. This is the first list of springtails found in nests of fungus-growing ants other than those belonging to the genera Atta and Acromyrmex (Formicidae: Myrmicinae).

They also note: "The occurrence of collembolans in the nests of fungus-growing ants is possibly beneficial to the growth of the symbiotic fungus. It has been observed that grazing activity of collembolans is able to increase the growth and respiration rate of fungal hyphae (Hedlund et al. 1991), and for this reason, the host ants tolerate them in their nests."