For others, a garden is a place to invite friends, have picnics outside, fire up the barbecue, and socialize. To survive in the garden ‘jungle’, you have to make use of anything at your disposal- including some targeted chemical weapons. Some fungi, however, are a bit more proactive in their use of chemical warfare. This fungus makes use of elm bark beetles, which lay eggs in dying elm trees. However, it isn’t just the exotic species that have chemical means to defend themselves; the common black garden ant (Lasius Niger) uses formic acid as a weapon.

Source: The Nation September 21, 2021 06:56 UTC