The leaf-cutter ants of Central America use leaves as food to cultivate the basidiomycete Lepiota in special underground chambers.Streptomyces bacteria coat parts of the ants' cuticles and secrete a potent antibiotic that kills an ascomycete that attacks the cultivated fungus.Lepiota must do which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The passage states that the leaf-cutter ants use leaves as food to cultivate the basidiomycete Lepiota in special underground chambers. This indicates that Lepiota is the one being cultivated and not involved in ingesting or breaking down the leaves. The passage also states that Streptomyces bacteria produce a potent antibiotic that kills an ascomycete that attacks the cultivated fungus. This suggests that Lepiota is not the one producing antibiotics to kill the ascomycete. Therefore, the only remaining option is that Lepiota must secrete enzymes to digest cellulose from the leaves.

The Leaf-Cutter Ants of Central America Use Leaves as Food