A myrmecophile is an organism which lives in a commensal relationship in which it uses food supplied in the internal or external environment of its host without establishing a close association with it. This relationship is often parasitic in nature, with the myrmecophile playing a seemingly harmless role in the lives of its host while actually playing a significant role in the ecology and dynamics of entire ecosystems. For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll focus on the beetle myrmecophile which is associated with ant colonies, but we’ll contrast its behavior and attributes with people that have similar characteristics.
Part 3 of this series based upon Matthew 7:15-20 addresses the following:
- Watch that Your Efforts aren’t Being Leeched from You!
- They Might Seem to Help for A While Before Draining or Attacking You!
- Don’t Permit Their Apparent Affection to Deceive You
