捕食性黄蜂正在侵占马卡兰加树（Macaranga pearsonii）内为蚂蚁提供的中空腔室，利用这些空间作为储存被麻痹猎物的幼虫养殖室。1这一现象在油棕种植园等人为干扰的环境中尤为常见，威胁着已维持至少1000万年的蚂蚁与植物之间的互利共生关系。1
由伦敦玛丽皇后大学、皇家植物园、捷克科学院生物中心等机构组成的研究团队在马来西亚婆罗洲进行了调查，发现被黄蜂占据的树木蚂蚁群落规模明显较小。1研究人员发现油棕种植园中含有黄蜂的植物比例远高于采伐森林。1
主要作者Lestina指出："许多茎被以不寻常的方式挖空。打开后，它们充满了被黄蜂幼虫吃掉的苍蝇。"1共同作者Kalsum M. Yusah表示："我们还不知道这种黄蜂是本地物种还是引入物种，但它的传播明显与受干扰的景观有关。"1这项研究已发表于《PeerJ》期刊。1
Predatory wasps are taking over hollow chambers in Macaranga pearsonii trees that evolved to house ant colonies, according to research from Queen Mary University of London and collaborating institutions.1 The wasps repurpose these cavities as nurseries to store paralyzed flies that serve as food for their larvae.1
The disruption to this ancient symbiosis is most pronounced in disturbed environments. Trees colonized by wasps contain significantly smaller ant populations than those housing only ants, and palm oil plantations show substantially higher rates of wasp occupation compared to logged forests.1 Lead researcher Lestina described the discovery: "Many stems were hollowed out in an unusual way. When opened, they were filled with flies that had been eaten by wasp larvae."1
The ant-plant mutualistic relationship has persisted for at least ten million years, making this invasion a threat to both forest recovery and the long-term evolutionary dynamics of tropical ecosystems.1 Co-author Kalsum M. Yusah noted the uncertainty surrounding the wasps' origin: "We don't yet know whether this wasp species is native or introduced, but its spread is clearly associated with disturbed landscapes."1 The findings were published in PeerJ.1
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