Without P. ferruginea, the plant won't have any defenses against herbivores
Bullhorn acacia trees protect themselves from herbivorous animals by developing a mutualism with the ant- Pseudomyrmex ferruginea (also known as acacia ant). Ants get inhabited on tree, kill insects and stinging the heads of mammals that try to eat acacia. On the other side, acacia has special glands at the base of the  leaves that produce a nectar rich in sugar and amino acids that ants can consume.
