Termites live in colonies that take advantage of certain species through tenant farming.
Tenancy is the relationship established between two living beings when one lives in the refuge of the other or even inside or on its body , although without harming or affecting it. The tenant assumes the role of commensal : he benefits from the bond with the other species and does not cause it harm or contribute anything positive.
Without prejudice to the host
These consequences of the interaction define inquilinism and differentiate it from mutualism (which helps the host) and parasitism (which harms the host). In the case of tenancy, the tenant benefits by obtaining protection but without causing a disadvantage to the other organization.
Tenancy, in short, is an interaction between individuals of different species . One of them benefits from getting shelter, while the other is indifferent.
insects
We can find multiple examples of inquilinism in nature. There are insects that reside in the burrows created by mice , eating fungi and waste. The most common cases occur in Coleoptera and Diptera, and they also rely on this relationship to use the resources of other insects, such as their food, their nests and even their physical abilities to protect them from their predators, as if they were bodyguards.
When tenant farming occurs between different species of insects, the one that is exploited is social , and the name of the particular relationship is created based on its name. For example, the inquilinism known as termitophilia is that which takes advantage of the resources of termites.
Social insects live in colonies that are perfectly organized to survive, covering all the needs of their population, both food and protection . This is why they are so tempting for other species. Logically, it is not easy to arrive at an anthill and settle in to be served as a member of the nobility; On the contrary, tenantism requires adaptive tactics to receive favors from hosts.
Staphylinid beetles, for example, have the necessary tools to infiltrate ant nests and get them fed, since they perch in the same way as ant larvae when they wait for food from the adults. We can also mention certain species of mosquitoes that take advantage of the liquid of insectivorous plants to live and reproduce. Not only do they use nutrients from prey, that is, other insects, but the plant defends them from predators.
Mammals
Squirrels are a clear example of inquilinism among mammals: they settle inside the trunks of trees to protect themselves from predators and shelter from inclement weather. There they also store their food and reproduce, without causing any harm to their host.
Our houses, despite being artificial, can also participate in tenantism, as occurs with species such as mice, which set up their caves in the least accessible corners to store the food they take from our leftovers or closets. Although humans often fear the presence of these rodents, they are not directly harmful to their health.
The relationship of squirrels with trees is one of tenantism.
Epiphytic plants
Epiphytic plants , for their part, develop on other plants, which they use as support. This relationship is one of inquilinism because the epiphyte does not behave as a parasite : it does not obtain nutrients from the other species.
in the ocean
In the aquatic environment, there are crustaceans that attach to whales . In this way, the body of the cetacean functions as support and even serves as a means of transportation. Although sometimes the whale suffers some minor damage, the bond is considered tenantism.