Nest bee nests, a resource also targeted by the tropical hornet. Symbiosis, ranging from feeding on waste to obligate parasitism, is common within the nest. Ant nests alone support symbiotes spanning six classes of arthropods which includes 35 families just from the beetles. Nest A nest is a structure built by certain animals to hold eggs, offspring, and, occasionally, the animal itself. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves, or may be a simple depression in
Leafcutter ant virulent fungus, has the potential to devastate an ant garden, as it is horizontally transmitted. "Escovopsis" was cultured, during colony foundation, in 6.6% of colonies. However, in one- to two-year-old colonies, almost 60% had "Escovopsis" growing in the fungal garden. In some parts of their range, leafcutter ants can be a serious agricultural pest, defoliating crops and damaging roads and farmland with their nest-making activities. For example, some "Atta" species are capable of defoliating an entire citrus tree in less than 24 hours. A promising approach to deterring attacks of the leafcutter ant "Acromyrmex lobicornis" on crops has been demonstrated.