Journal ArticleDOI
Fire triggers the activity of extrafloral nectaries, but ants fail to protect the plant against herbivores in a neotropical savanna
TLDR
This study shows that P. obscuricornis disrupted the facultative mutualism between C. crassus and B. malifolia, since ants received extrafloral nectar from plants, but were unable to deter herbivore thrips.Abstract:
Herbivores are attracted to young shoots and leaves because of their tender tissues. However, in extrafloral nectaried plants, young leaves also attract patrolling ants, which may chase or prey on herbivores. We examined this scenario in extrafloral nectaried shrubs of Banisteriopsis malifolia resprouting after fire, which promoted both the aseasonal production of leaves and the activity of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). Results were compared between resprouting (burned) and unburned control plants. The aggressive ant species Camponotus crassus and the herbivorous thrips Pseudophilothrips obscuricornis were respectively rapidly attracted to resprouting plants because of the active EFNs and their less sclerophyllous leaves. The abundance of these insects was almost negligible in the control (unburned) shrubs. Ants failed to protect B. malifolia, as no thrips were preyed upon or injured by ants in resprouting plants. Consequently, on average, 37 % of leaves from resprouting shrubs had necrosis marks. Upon contact with ants, thrips released small liquid droplets from their abdomen, which rapidly displaced ants from the surroundings. This study shows that P. obscuricornis disrupted the facultative mutualism between C. crassus and B. malifolia, since ants received extrafloral nectar from plants, but were unable to deter herbivore thrips.read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Differences among ant species in plant protection are related to production of extrafloral nectar and degree of leaf herbivory
Roberth Fagundes,Roberth Fagundes,Roberth Fagundes,Wesley Dáttilo,Sérvio P. Ribeiro,Victor Rico-Gray,Pedro Jordano,Kleber Del-Claro +7 more
TL;DR: This paper would like to thank the IEF, UFOP and UFU for logistic support and PROPP/UFOP for financial support for CAPES, CNPq and FAPEMIG supported SPR.
Journal ArticleDOI
Ant Species Identity has a Greater Effect than Fire on the Outcome of an Ant Protection System in Brazilian Cerrado
TL;DR: The identity of the ant species had a greater effect than did the occurrence of fire on the ant–herbivore–plant interaction: the identity ofthe ant species influenced leaf area loss, thrips numbers, and bud and seed production, while fire only modified the impact of ants on the amount of leaf area consumed by insect herbivores.
Journal ArticleDOI
Availability of food and nesting-sites as regulatory mechanisms for the recovery of ant diversity after fire disturbance
TL;DR: Results show that changes in the availability of nesting sites and food resources may be key mechanisms by which fire changes the ant fauna, specifically cavity-nesting ants in the Brazilian Savanna.
Journal ArticleDOI
Resilience to fire and climate seasonality drive the temporal dynamics of ant-plant interactions in a fire-prone ecosystem.
Fernanda Vieira da Costa,Nico Blüthgen,Arleu Barbosa Viana-Junior,Tadeu J. Guerra,Laura Di Spirito,Frederico de Siqueira Neves +5 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the thermal responses of foliage-dwelling ants in order to predict the effects of seasonal oscillations of temperature on ant activity, and found that warmer and wetter conditions let to increases in the diversity and frequency of ant-plant interactions, mainly via upturns in plant resource availability and ant foraging activity.
Journal ArticleDOI
On the inability of ants to protect their plant partners and the effect of herbivores on different stages of plant reproduction
TL;DR: Evidence that ant–plant–herbivore systems have variable outcomes depending on the species involved, their behaviour and the plant structure under consideration is found.
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