Which carnivorous plant has a mutualistic relationship with the ant Camponotus schmitzi?

The carnivorous plant with a mutualistic relationship with the ant Camponotus schmitzi is Nepenthes bicalcarata.

Nepenthes bicalcarata is a Bornean tropical pitcher plant commonly called the fanged pitcher-plant. Its hollow, swollen tendrils provide nesting spaces for Camponotus schmitzi, while the ants help the plant retain nutrients and maintain effective pitchers.

The ants can swim through the pitcher fluid, retrieve large prey, and remove organic material that might otherwise escape or decay. They also clean the pitcher’s rim and help defend the plant against pitcher-damaging weevils. In return, the ants receive shelter and food from prey and plant-derived resources.

This relationship is unusual because the plant remains capable of surviving without the ants, while the ant is highly dependent on N. bicalcarata. Studies have estimated that ant-derived material can provide a substantial share of the plant’s foliar nitrogen. The species therefore combines ordinary carnivory with a specialised ant partnership.