Leaf-Cutter Ants Are Part of a Complex System of Species

Multiple Choice

Leaf-cutter ants are part of a complex system of species associations. These include a(n) _______ with fungi, which they cultivate in gardens within their nests; a(n) _______ with a parasitic fungus (Escovopsis) that invades and destroys fungal gardens; and a(n) _______ with a bacterium living on the ant's body that produces a chemical that inhibits Escovopsis. These three associations are, respectively,

A) mutualism; host-parasite interaction; mutualism
B) mutualism; mutualism; host-parasite interaction
C) mutualism; host-parasite interaction; commensalism
D) commensalism; host-parasite interaction; host-parasite interaction