Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest
The diet of the leaf-cutter ant Acromyrmex striatus was used as indirect evidence for potential antiherbivore activity by the nectivorous ant Camponotus blandus and by chemical and mechanical plant defenses. Data on ant activity, plant abundance, and foliar material for analyses of chemical and mechanical plant defenses were collected during spring in a subtropical forest in the Argentinean Chaco. We found a negative relationship between the proportion of visits by C. blandus and leaf harvesting of A. striatus for the plant species that offer nectar. However, the most abundant plant species in the forest comprised the greatest part of the leaf-cutter diet. In general, no relationship was found between chemical or mechanical defenses and leaf-cutter diet for all the plant species of the forest. A few plant species with high levels of plant defenses suffered little or no harvesting by leaf-cutter ants. Our findings suggest two main reasons for the absence or low representation of nectar-offering plant species in the diet of A. striatus: nectivorous ant activity and low plant species abundances.
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
Asociación Argentina de Ecología
1994
|
| Online Access: | https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1694 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| id |
rev-ecoaus-article-1694 |
|---|---|
| record_format |
ojs |
| spelling |
rev-ecoaus-article-16942021-02-03T03:36:31Z Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest Influencia de las defensas bióticas, químicas y mecánicas de las plantas sobre el patrón de forrajeo de la hormiga cortadora (Acromyrmex striatus) en un bosque subtropical Folgarait, Patricia J. Farji Brener, Alejandro G. Protomastro, Jorge J. The diet of the leaf-cutter ant Acromyrmex striatus was used as indirect evidence for potential antiherbivore activity by the nectivorous ant Camponotus blandus and by chemical and mechanical plant defenses. Data on ant activity, plant abundance, and foliar material for analyses of chemical and mechanical plant defenses were collected during spring in a subtropical forest in the Argentinean Chaco. We found a negative relationship between the proportion of visits by C. blandus and leaf harvesting of A. striatus for the plant species that offer nectar. However, the most abundant plant species in the forest comprised the greatest part of the leaf-cutter diet. In general, no relationship was found between chemical or mechanical defenses and leaf-cutter diet for all the plant species of the forest. A few plant species with high levels of plant defenses suffered little or no harvesting by leaf-cutter ants. Our findings suggest two main reasons for the absence or low representation of nectar-offering plant species in the diet of A. striatus: nectivorous ant activity and low plant species abundances. Se estudió la dieta de la hormiga cortadora Acromyrmex striatus como evidencia indirecta de las actividades anthiherbívoras de la hormiga nectívora Camponotus blandus y de las defensas químicas y mecánicas presentes en las plantas. Se determinó la actividad de ambos tipos de hormigas y la abundancia vegetal de distintas especies de plantas y se cosechó material foliar para análisis de defensas químicas y físicas durante la primavera en un bosque subtropical del Chaco Argentino. Se encontró una relación inversa entre la proporción de visitas de C. blandus y la actividad recolectora de A. striatus para las especies vegetales que ofrecen néctar. Por otro lado, hallamos una correlación positiva entre la abundancia de las especies vegetales del bosque, y su proporción en la dieta de la hormiga cortadora. En general, las defensas físicas y químicas no mostraron correlación significativa cots la dieta de las hormigas cortadoras. Algunas especies mostraron poseer niveles de defensas superiores a las tolerables por A. striatus. Los resultados sugieren dos razones principales para explicar la ausencia o baja representación de las especies vegetales que ofrecen néctar en la dieta de A. striatus: actividad de hormigas nectívoras y baja abundancia de las especies vegetales. Asociación Argentina de Ecología 1994-06-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículos application/pdf https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1694 Ecología Austral; Vol. 4 No. 1 (1994); 011-017 Ecología Austral; Vol. 4 Núm. 1 (1994); 011-017 0327-5477 1667-7838 eng https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1694/1025 Derechos de autor 2021 Ecología Austral |
| institution |
AUSTRAL |
| collection |
OJS |
| country |
Argentina |
| countrycode |
AR |
| component |
Revista |
| access |
En linea |
| databasecode |
rev-ecoaus |
| tag |
revista |
| region |
America del Sur |
| libraryname |
Asociación Argentina de Ecología |
| language |
eng |
| format |
Digital |
| author |
Folgarait, Patricia J. Farji Brener, Alejandro G. Protomastro, Jorge J. |
| spellingShingle |
Folgarait, Patricia J. Farji Brener, Alejandro G. Protomastro, Jorge J. Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| author_facet |
Folgarait, Patricia J. Farji Brener, Alejandro G. Protomastro, Jorge J. |
| author_sort |
Folgarait, Patricia J. |
| title |
Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| title_short |
Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| title_full |
Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| title_fullStr |
Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (Acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| title_sort |
influence of biotic, chemical and mechanical plant defenses on the foraging pattern of the leaf-cutter ant (acromyrmex striatus) in a subtropical forest |
| description |
The diet of the leaf-cutter ant Acromyrmex striatus was used as indirect evidence for potential antiherbivore activity by the nectivorous ant Camponotus blandus and by chemical and mechanical plant defenses. Data on ant activity, plant abundance, and foliar material for analyses of chemical and mechanical plant defenses were collected during spring in a subtropical forest in the Argentinean Chaco. We found a negative relationship between the proportion of visits by C. blandus and leaf harvesting of A. striatus for the plant species that offer nectar. However, the most abundant plant species in the forest comprised the greatest part of the leaf-cutter diet. In general, no relationship was found between chemical or mechanical defenses and leaf-cutter diet for all the plant species of the forest. A few plant species with high levels of plant defenses suffered little or no harvesting by leaf-cutter ants. Our findings suggest two main reasons for the absence or low representation of nectar-offering plant species in the diet of A. striatus: nectivorous ant activity and low plant species abundances. |
| publisher |
Asociación Argentina de Ecología |
| publishDate |
1994 |
| url |
https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1694 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT folgaraitpatriciaj influenceofbioticchemicalandmechanicalplantdefensesontheforagingpatternoftheleafcutterantacromyrmexstriatusinasubtropicalforest AT farjibreneralejandrog influenceofbioticchemicalandmechanicalplantdefensesontheforagingpatternoftheleafcutterantacromyrmexstriatusinasubtropicalforest AT protomastrojorgej influenceofbioticchemicalandmechanicalplantdefensesontheforagingpatternoftheleafcutterantacromyrmexstriatusinasubtropicalforest AT folgaraitpatriciaj influenciadelasdefensasbioticasquimicasymecanicasdelasplantassobreelpatrondeforrajeodelahormigacortadoraacromyrmexstriatusenunbosquesubtropical AT farjibreneralejandrog influenciadelasdefensasbioticasquimicasymecanicasdelasplantassobreelpatrondeforrajeodelahormigacortadoraacromyrmexstriatusenunbosquesubtropical AT protomastrojorgej influenciadelasdefensasbioticasquimicasymecanicasdelasplantassobreelpatrondeforrajeodelahormigacortadoraacromyrmexstriatusenunbosquesubtropical |
| _version_ |
1755912521396518912 |