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Domatia (singular: domatium, from the Latin "domus", meaning home) are tiny chambers produced by plants that house arthropods.[1]
Domatia differ from galls in that they are produced by the plant rather than being induced by their inhabitants. Most domatia are either inhabited by mites or ants, in what can be a mutualist relationship, but other arthropods such as thrips may take advantage of the protection offered by this structure.
Domatia are often formed on the lower surface of leaves, at the juncture of the midrib and the veins. They usually consist of small depressions partly enclosed by leaf tissue or hairs. Many members of the Lauraceae family have developed leaf domatia.
References
- ^ O'Dowd, Dennis J.; Mary F. Willson (June 1991). "Associations Between Mites and Leaf Domatia". Trends in Ecology & Evolution 6 (6): 179–182. doi:10.1016/0169-5347(91)90209-G.
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