Insect visitors to extrafloral nectaries of Byttneria aculeata (Sterculiaceae): relative importance and roles

Abstract

1. Ants, parasitoids and flies are about equally frequent at foliar nectaries of Bytmeriu uculeutu (Sterculiaceae) in lowland Costa Rica during the dry season, a pattern previously unreported but also observed at other plants in the area.2. Species of Ectutommu, Cremutogaster and Camponotus were the most frequent of twenty-four ant species on Byttneriu, eight of which nested in the hollow stems. Ants spent most time at nectaries and little in patrolling.3. Collections at nectaries yielded large numbers of species of parasitoid Hymenoptera with few individuals of each. Rearing studies of leaf-feeding herbivores yielded several species of parasitoids, including one species taken at a nectary and two others congeneric or closely re1 a ted.4. Flies appear to be nectar thieves, in the same sense as nonpollinating floral visitors, despite close association with Bytfneriu. 5 . Ant-plants may be poor models for the larger number of species of less specialized plants with extrafloral nectaries. Plants which have only extrafloral nectaries may better suit the needs of parasitoids than ants, and plants such as Byttneriu may benefit as much from parasitoids as from ants.

Ants visit nectaries of Epidendrum denticulatum (Orchidaceae) in a Brazilian rainforest: effects on herbivory and pollination

“…Ectatomma tuberculatum also moves throughout the reproductive axis searching for EFNs, and is as effective in attacking simulated baits as is C. sericeiventris. Hespenheide (1985) also described Ectatomma ruidum as moving slower than Camponotus spp. while foraging on foliar EFNs of Byttneria aculeata, but he found no direct evidence of benefits to plants bearing ants.…”

“…Various studies have observed the commonness and great potential for herbivore deterrence of both the genus Camponotus (e.g., Oliveira et al, 1987;Dansa & Rocha, 1992;Costa et al, 1992;Rico-Gray, 1993), and Ectatomma (Hespenheide, 1985;Jaffe et al, 1989;Rico-Gray, 1989;Dejean & Lachaud, 1992;Rico-Gray & Thien, 1989;Peakall;1994).…”

“…Since some ants tend to be aggressive to other arthropods visiting the plant (Hespenheide, 1985), they reduce herbivory and protect occupied individuals (e.g., Janzen, 1966Janzen, , 1967Bentley, 1977aBentley, , 1977bSchemske, 1980;Oliveira et al, 1987;Costa et al, 1992). Many tropical orchids show interactions with ants ranging from those involving myrmecophytic species, in which ants nest (e.g., Rico-Gray, 1989;Fisher et al, 1990), to those with species on which the ants only frequent to forage on extrafloral nectaries (e.g., Jaffe et al, 1989;Delabie, 1995).…”

Natural History of a SubsocialTortoise Beetle, Acromis Sparsa Boheman(Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae) in Panama

“…Maternal care in this species seems to have a clear and unambiguous selective value: as in many other subsocial insects, it lowers mortality due to predation (Tallamy and Wood 1986 (Hespenheide 1985).…”

A review of North and Central American Paragrilus Saunders, 1871 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Agrilinae)

“…in the Sterculiaceae (Hespenheide 1983(Hespenheide , 1985. Although it has not been reared, Byttneria is almost certainly the larval host.…”