The Ecology and Evolution of Ant-Plant Interactions

346 Pages·2007·3.84 MB·English

by  Victor Rico-Gray

The Ecology and Evolution of
Ant-Plant Interactions
Interspecifi c Interactions
A Series Edited by John N. Thompson
also in this series
Induced Responses to Herbivory by Richard Karban and Ian T. Baldwin
Parasitism by Claude Combes
Ecological Niches by Jonathan M. Chase and Mathew A. Leibold
Antipredator Defenses in Birds and Mammals by Tim Caro
The Geographic Mosaic of Coevolution by John N. Thompson
The Ecology and Evolution
of Ant-Plant Interactions
victor rico-gr ay and
paulo s. oliveir a
the university of chicago press chicago and london
victor rico-gray is a senior research scientist at the Instituto de Ecología, A.C.,
in Mexico. paulo s. oliveira is professor of ecology at the Universidade Estadual de
Campinas in Brazil.
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637
The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London
© 2007 by The University of Chicago
All rights reserved. Published 2007
Printed in the United States of America
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 1 2 3 4 5
isbn-13: 978-0-226-71347-2 (cloth)
isbn-13: 978-0-226-71348-9 (paper)
isbn-10: 0-226-71347-4 (cloth)
isbn-10: 0-226-71348-2 (paper)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rico-Gray, Victor.
The ecology and evolution of ant-plant interactions / Victor Rico-Gray
and Paulo S. Oliveira.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn-13: 978-0-226-71347-2 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn-10: 0-226-71347-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn-13: 978-0-226-71348-9 (pbk. : alk. paper)
isbn-10: 0-226-71348-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Ants—Ecology. 2. Insect-plant relationships. I. Oliveria, Paulo S. II. Title.
ql568 .f7r53 2007
595.79(cid:2)6—dc22
2006036173
(cid:2)(cid:3)
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ansi z39.48-1992.
For
Alex Rico-Palacios
and
Maristela Oliveira

Contents
Preface xi
1. Ant-Plant Interactions 1
The Origin and Early Evolution of Ant-Plant Associations
Phylogenetic Associations
A Brief History of the Associations
Coevolution and Interspecifi c Interactions
2. Antagonistic Interactions: Leaf-Cutting and Seed-Harvesting
Ants 21
Leaf-Cutting Ants (Grazing)
Seed-Harvesting Ants (Predation)
3. M utualism from Antagonism: Ants as Primary
Seed-Dispersers 42
The Reward: Elaiosomes
Seed Dispersal by Ants
Myrmecochory: Distribution and Signifi cance Worldwide
Conclusion
appendix 3.1. Myrmecochory in Eastern North America, Japan,
and Europe
appendix 3.2. Myrmecochory in Australia and South Africa
appendix 3.3. Myrmecochory in the Neotropics
4. Mutualism from Opportunism: Ants as Secondary
Seed-Dispersers 68
The Reward: Fallen Fleshy Diaspores
Diaspore Attributes and Patterns of Ant Attendance
Ant Effects on Seeds and Seedlings
Directed Dispersal of Seeds by Ponerine Ants
Prospect
5. Mutualism from Antagonism: Ants and Flowers 85
Pollination by Ants
Discouragement of Floral Visits by Ants
appendix 5.1. Plant Species in Which Ant Pollination Has Been
Demonstrated
6. Antagonism and Mutualism: Direct Interactions 99
The Pseudomyrmex-Acacia Association
Ants, Plants, and Food Bodies
Ant-Inhabited Plants Offering No Direct Food Rewards
Ants, Plants, and Extrafl oral Nectaries
Plant Defensive Strategies and Induced Responses
The Nature of the Associations and the Importance of Conditionality
Topics for Future Consideration
appendix 6.1. Flowering Plants That Maintain a Nonsymbiotic
Relationship with Ants
7. Antagonism and Mutualism: Indirect Interactions 142
Ants, Plants, and Hemipterans
Variable Outcomes in Ant-Hemipteran Systems
The Effect of Ant-Hemiptera Interactions on Host Plants
Ant-Hemiptera Associations and the Evolution of Extrafl oral Nectaries
8. Nutrition of Plants by Ant Mutualists: Life History of Ant-Fed Plants
and Ant-Garden Systems 163
Ant-Fed Plants
Ant Gardens
Conclusion
appendix 8.1. Ant-Fed Plants That Absorb Nutrients from Ant Debris
9. Canopy-Dwelling Ants, Plant and Insect Exudates, and Ant
Mosaics 177
Canopy Ants: Main Features and Trophic Role
The Competitive Environment
Ant Mosaics
Plant and Insect Exudates and Ant Community Structure
The Effect of Trophobiont Tenders on Associated Herbivores and on
the Host Plant
10. Variation in Ant-Plant Interactions 193
Temporal Variation
Spatial Variation
appendix 10.1. Plants with Extrafl oral Nectaries
appendix 10.2. Ant Species Using Plant-Derived Food Resources
11. Ant-Plant Interactions in Agriculture 215
Agricultural Systems, Herbivores, and Ants
Ants as Biological Control Agents
Case Studies
Biological Control and Interspecifi c Interactions
12. Overview and Perspectives 231
Literature Cited 253
Index 313