Macroevolutionary patterns in the origin of mutualisms involving ants

Oliver, Tom H.; Leather, Simon R.; Cook, James M.

doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01600.x

Cited by 49 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(107 reference statements)

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“…1b, c). Past work comparing tended and untended aphid species demonstrates a number of features associated with ant mutualism, including longer mouthparts (Oliver et al 2008;Shingleton and Stern 2003;Shingleton et al 2005), shorter cornicles (Mondor et al 2002) and winglessness (Stadler et al 2003). Yet each of these adaptations is more likely associated with a loss of predator avoidance traits than with an increase in attractiveness to ants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetically based population variation in aphid association with ants and predators

Mooney

2010

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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A species' genotype can have extended consequences for the structure of the surrounding community, but few studies have investigated the extended consequences of genetic variation in animals. Accordingly, I examined the importance of genetically based variation among five populations of the ant-tended aphid Aphis asclepiadis for its interactions with both ants and predators. In a common environment, aphid source population accounted for 23 and 17% of the variation in the occurrence of ants and predators, respectively. Ant exclusion increased predator abundance, accounting for 25% of variation, but there was no detectable influence of ants on aphid abundance. There was an indication that aphid source populations varied in honeydew quality, but this was uncorrelated with rates of ant attendance. This study provides the first evidence for genetic variation in aphids for attractiveness to ants, and underscores the important link between intra-specific genetic variation in aphids and the processes governing arthropod community structure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetically based population variation in aphid association with ants and predators

Mooney

2010

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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“…This primarily concerns long-term renewable sources of carbohydrate food such as trophobionts (e.g. aphid colonies), because honeydew excreted by sapfeeding insects is an important energy resource for various ant species (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990;Delabie, 2001) especially those living in large colonies of more than ten thousand individuals (Oliver et al, 2008). Increase in ant colony size is known to be accompanied by an increase in territorial organization (defence of territories for foraging) and foraging behaviour (the choice of foraging strategy and division of labour) (Reznikova, 1983;Beckers et al, 1989;Anderson & McShea, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The degree of protection different ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) provide aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) against aphidophages

Novgorodova¹,

Gavrilyuk²

2012

Eur. J. Entomol.

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Abstract. Aphids play an important role in the life of many ant species supplying them with energy-rich carbohydrate food and in exchange receiving some degree of protection from natural enemies. This study focused on the degree of protection different ants provide myrmecophilous aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in multispecies ant communities. Field investigations were carried out in steppe and forest plant associations in Siberia. The potential level of aggressiveness of six ant species (Formica rufa Linnaeus, F. pratensis Retzius, Lasius fuliginosus (Latreille), L. niger (Linnaeus), Camponotus saxatilis Ruzsky and Myrmica rubra Linnaeus) towards imagines and larvae of ladybirds and lacewings and larvae of hoverflies was tested in the laboratory. A comparative analysis of the occurrence of aphidophages in colonies of the aphid Chaitophorus populeti Panzer and of all aphid-symbionts tended by different ants in the study area has shown that the degree of protection of myrmecophilous aphids from natural enemies significantly differs among ants and is positively correlated with ant colony size. On the whole, the degree of protection of myrmecophilous aphids from aphidophages depends both on the potential level of aggressiveness of ants and their foraging strategy when collecting honeydew (degree of specialisation among honeydew collectors). As the dominant ants Formica s. str. were the most aggressive and provided aphids with the highest degree of protection, we suppose that these ants have the most important influence on the survival of the symbionts in multispecies ant communities whereas the other ants, which live in small colonies of about 10 2 -10 3 workers, appear at least partially to take advantage of the mutualistic relationships of the dominant ants.

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“…The trophobiotic interrelations of ants with various insects have been investigated over many years (Mordvilko, 1901;Nixon, 1951;Way, 1963;Pierce et al, 2002;Novgorodova, 2004;2008;Styrsky & Eubanks, 2007;Oliver et al, 2008). At present the least explored type of trophobiosis is that between ants and sawfly larvae discovered quite recently in the European part of Russia (Shcherbakov, 2006), Western Siberia (Biryukova et al, 2006;Biryukova, 2007) and Germany (Liston, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some ethological aspects of the trophobiotic interrelations between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and larvae of the sawfly Blasticotoma filiceti (Hymenoptera: Blasticotomidae)

Novgorodova¹,

Biryukova²

2011

Eur. J. Entomol.

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Abstract. Some ethological aspects of the interrelations between ants and the larvae of Blasticotoma filiceti Klug, 1834 were investigated in the Altai Republic and Novosibirsk Region in [2006][2007][2008]. The interactions of ants with the larvae of this sawfly are determined by the concealed way of life style of B. filiceti. The majority of the ant-sawfly encounters occurred near holes in fern fronds at the moment when larvae excreted liquid or left their tunnels before descending to the soil prior to overwintering. Sawfly larvae visited by more aggressive ants, such as Formica s. str., leave the fern fronds slowly, which enables them to avoid inciting attacks by ants. The behaviour of the ants while collecting the larval excretion is similar to their behaviour at sugar troughs. The organisation of the collecting larval excreta by ants was investigated in detail in the cases of Formica polyctena Förster, 1850 and Myrmica rubra Linnaeus, 1758. The individual fern plants with sawfly larvae are attended by relatively constant groups of foragers in both cases. However, the highly social red wood ants interact with sawfly larvae in a more complex way. While the working groups of M. rubra tending sawfly larvae consist only of non-aggressive "unspecialized" foragers, those of F. polyctena include also a few "on duty" ants that protect the trophobionts, at least from the other ants.

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Macroevolutionary patterns in the origin of mutualisms involving ants

Cited by 49 publications

References 62 publications

Genetically based population variation in aphid association with ants and predators

Genetically based population variation in aphid association with ants and predators

The degree of protection different ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) provide aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) against aphidophages

Some ethological aspects of the trophobiotic interrelations between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and larvae of the sawfly Blasticotoma filiceti (Hymenoptera: Blasticotomidae)

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