In Central America, colonies of stinging acacia ants live in bullhorn acacia trees. The ants benefit from this relationship because the trees provide the ants with shelter, and the ants also eat nectar from the trees' leaf stalks. The acacia trees benefit because the ants sting herbivorous animals that try to graze on the trees' leaves, and the ants also help remove any vines and weeds that might compete with the trees for light, soil, and nutrients. What type of relationship exists between bullhorn acacia trees and stinging acacia ants?
A.
symbiotic
B.
predatory
C.
competitive
D.
parasitic
