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Alencar CLDS, Nogueira A, Vicente RE, Coutinho ÍAC. Plant species with larger extrafloral nectaries produce better quality nectar when needed and interact with the best ant partners. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:4613-4627. [PMID: 37115640 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have explored the phenotypic plasticity of nectar production on plant attractiveness to ants. Here, we investigate the role of extrafloral nectary (EFN) size on the productivity of extrafloral nectar in three sympatric legume species. We hypothesized that plant species with larger EFNs (i) have higher induced nectar secretion after herbivory events, and (ii) are more likely to interact with more protective (i.e. dominant) ant partners. We target 90 plants of three Chamaecrista species in the field. We estimated EFN size and conducted field experiments to evaluate any differences in nectar traits before and after leaf damage to investigate the phenotypic plasticity of nectar production across species. We conducted multiple censuses of ant species feeding on EFNs over time. Plant species increased nectar descriptors after leaf damage, but in different ways. Supporting our hypothesis, C. duckeana, with the largest EFN size, increased all nectar descriptors, with most intense post-herbivory-induced response, taking its place as the most attractive to ants, including dominant species. EFN size variation was an excellent indicator of nectar productivity across species. The higher control over reward production in plants with larger sized EFNs reflects an induction mechanism under damage that reduces costs and increases the potential benefits of indirect biotic defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cícero Luanderson da Silva Alencar
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, campus do Pici, Centro de Ciências, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Morfoanatomia Funcional de Plantas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Anselmo Nogueira
- Laboratório de Interações Planta-Animal (LIPA), Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Eduardo Vicente
- Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovações, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil
| | - Ítalo Antônio Cotta Coutinho
- Universidade Federal do Ceará, campus do Pici, Centro de Ciências, Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Morfoanatomia Funcional de Plantas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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2
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Han S, Phillips BL, Elgar MA. Colony-level aggression escalates with the value of food resources. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:18. [PMID: 37193951 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02117-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Theory predicts that the level of escalation in animal contests is associated with the value of the contested resource. This fundamental prediction has been empirically confirmed by studies of dyadic contests but has not been tested experimentally in the collective context of group-living animals. Here, we used the Australian meat ant Iridomyrmex purpureus as a model and employed a novel field experimental manipulation of the value of food that removes the potentially confounding effects of nutritional status of the competing individual workers. We draw on insights from the Geometric Framework for nutrition to investigate whether group contests between neighbouring colonies escalate according to the value to the colony of a contested food resource. RESULTS First, we show that colonies of I. purpureus value protein according to their past nutritional intake, deploying more foragers to collect protein if their previous diet had been supplemented with carbohydrate rather than with protein. Using this insight, we show that colonies contesting more highly valued food escalated the contest, by deploying more workers and engaging in lethal 'grappling' behaviour. CONCLUSION Our data confirm that a key prediction of contest theory, initially intended for dyadic contests, is similarly applicable to group contests. Specifically, we demonstrate, through a novel experimental procedure, that the contest behaviour of individual workers reflects the nutritional requirements of the colony, rather than that of individual workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaolin Han
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Centre for Immunology & Infection, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Ben L Phillips
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
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3
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Lynch SC, Savage AM. The changing dynamics of ant-tree cholla mutualisms along a desert urbanization gradient. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280130. [PMID: 37000864 PMCID: PMC10065256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization, among the most widespread and multifaceted anthropogenic change drivers, exerts strong influences on a diversity of ecological communities worldwide. We have begun to understand how urbanization affects species diversity, yet we still have limited knowledge about the ways that species interactions are altered by urbanization. We have an especially poor understanding of how urbanization influences stress-buffering mutualisms, despite the high levels of multivariate stress that urban organisms must overcome and the importance of these interactions to the fitness of many organisms. In this study, we investigated the effects of urbanization on a mutualism between tree cholla cacti (Cylindropuntia imbricata) and visiting ants. We first examined how plant size, ant species composition, and ant activity varied on C. imbricata across an urbanization gradient (urban, suburban, wild) in and around Albuquerque, NM. Ant species composition and activity varied significantly across the urbanization gradient, with ant communities from wildlands having the highest activity and the most dissimilar species composition compared to both suburban and urban sites. In contrast, plant size remained constant regardless of site type. We then experimentally assessed how nectar levels influenced ant aggressive encounters with proxy prey (Drosophila melanogaster larvae) on C. imbricata across urban and wild sites. Ants were more likely to discover, attack, and remove proxy prey in wild sites compared to urban sites; they also performed these behaviors more quickly in wild sites. Nectar supplementation had weaker effects on ant aggression than urbanization, but consistently increased the speed at which aggressive behaviors occurred. Future studies that examine nectar quality and herbivorous arthropod abundance may help explain why this strong difference in ant composition and aggression was not associated with lower plant fitness proxies (i.e. size traits). Nevertheless, this study provides unique insight into the growing body of work demonstrating that mutualisms vary significantly across urbanization gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon C. Lynch
- Rutgers University Camden, Camden, NJ, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Amy M. Savage
- Rutgers University Camden, Camden, NJ, United States of America
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4
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Sun SL, Abudisilimu N, Yi H, Li S, Liu TX, Jing X. Understanding nutritive need in Harmonia axyridis larvae: Insights from nutritional geometry. INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 29:1433-1444. [PMID: 35061926 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is an important natural enemy in agricultural ecosystems. In spite of being a carnivore consuming protein-rich preys, the lady beetles often consume carbohydrate-rich food like nectar or honeydew. However, most studies on nutrition regulation of carnivores mainly focus on protein and lipid, two major macronutrients in preys. In this study, nutrition regulation of protein and carbohydrate has been investigated in the 4th instar larvae of H. axyridis using Geometric Framework. We provided the insects two pairs of foods, one a protein-biased one and the second carbohydrate-biased, to determine the intake target. We then confined them to nutritionally imbalanced foods to examine how they regulated food intake to achieve maximal performance. The larvae performed well on the 2 foods that containing the closest P : C ratios to the intake target, but, surprisingly, the lipid content was much lower than that in the choice experiment. The lady beetles seemed to maintain the optimal lipid content by consuming carbohydrate-rich food. Moreover, consuming the carbohydrate-rich food was less metabolically expensive than the protein-rich food. Therefore, switching behavior between plant and animal foods actually reflects their nutritive needs. These findings extended our understanding of predator forage behavior and its influence on food web in ecosystems, and shed light on the role of agri-environment schemes in meeting the nutritional need of predators in field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Lei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Nibijiang Abudisilimu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hao Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sali Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tong-Xian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiangfeng Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on the Loess Plateau of Ministry of Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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5
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Calixto ES, Lange D, Moreira X, Del‐Claro K. Plant species specificity of ant–plant mutualistic interactions: Differential predation of termites by
Cam
ponotus crassus
on five species of extrafloral nectaries plants. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Denise Lange
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Recursos Naturais e Sustentabilidade Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná Santa Helena PR Brazil
| | - Xoaquín Moreira
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG‐CSIC Pontevedra, Galicia Spain
| | - Kleber Del‐Claro
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e de Interações Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Uberlândia MG Brazil
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6
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Kjeldgaard MK, Takano OM, Bockoven AA, Teel PD, Light JE, Hamer SA, Hamer GL, Eubanks MD. Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) aggression influences the behavior of three hard tick species. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2019; 79:87-97. [PMID: 31552562 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have documented the indirect effects of predators on tick behavior. We conducted behavioral assays in the laboratory to quantify the effects of a highly abundant predator, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), on three species of ticks endemic to the southern USA: the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the Gulf Coast tick (A. maculatum), and the Cayenne tick (A. mixtum). We documented ant aggression toward ticks (biting, carrying, and stinging) and determined the effects of ants on tick activity. Ticks were significantly less active in the presence of fire ants, and tick activity was negatively associated with ant aggression, but in many cases the effects of fire ants on ticks varied by tick species, stage, and engorgement status. For example, fire ants took half as long (~ 62 s) to become aggressive toward unfed A. americanum adults compared with unfed A. maculatum, and only ~ 8 s to become aggressive toward engorged A. maculatum nymphs. Correspondingly, the activity of unfed A. americanum adults and engorged A. maculatum nymphs was reduced by 67 and 93%, respectively, in the presence of fire ants. This reduction in tick activity translated to less questing by unfed ticks and less time spent walking by engorged nymphs. Our results suggest that fire ants may have important non-consumptive effects on ticks and demonstrate the importance of measuring the indirect effects of predators on tick behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- MacKenzie K Kjeldgaard
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Oona M Takano
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Alison A Bockoven
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jessica E Light
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, 402 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Gabriel L Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Micky D Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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7
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Yamawo A, Suzuki N, Tagawa J. Extrafloral nectary-bearing plant Mallotus japonicus uses different types of extrafloral nectaries to establish effective defense by ants. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2019; 132:499-507. [PMID: 31228016 PMCID: PMC7196952 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-019-01119-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Extrafloral nectary (EFN)-bearing plants attract ants to gain protection against herbivores. Some EFN-bearing plants possess different types of EFNs, which might have different effects on ants on the plants. Mallotus japonicus (Thunb.) Muell. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) bears two types of EFNs, including a pair of large EFNs at the leaf base and many small EFNs along the leaf edge. This study aimed to determine the different roles of the two types of EFNs in biotic defense by ants. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of leaf damage on EFN production and on the distribution pattern of ants. After leaf damage, the number of leaf edge EFNs increased in the leaves first-produced. The number of ants on the leaves also increased, and the foraging area of ants extended from the leaf base to the leaf tip. An EFN-covering field experiment revealed that leaf edge EFNs had a greater effect than leaf base EFNs on ant dispersal on leaves. The extended foraging area of ants resulted in an increase of encounter or attack rate against an experimentally placed herbivore, Spodoptera litura. These results suggest that M. japonicus plants control the foraging area of ants on their leaves using different types of EFNs in response to leaf damage, thus achieving a very effective biotic defense against herbivores by ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Yamawo
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, Saga, 840-8502, Japan.
| | - Nobuhiko Suzuki
- Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, Saga, 840-8502, Japan
| | - Jun Tagawa
- Department of Biosphere-Geosphere System Science, Faculty of Informatics, Okayama University of Science, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan
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8
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Nepi M, Grasso DA, Mancuso S. Nectar in Plant-Insect Mutualistic Relationships: From Food Reward to Partner Manipulation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1063. [PMID: 30073014 PMCID: PMC6060274 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
It has been known for centuries that floral and extra-floral nectar secreted by plants attracts and rewards animals. Extra-floral nectar is involved in so-called indirect defense by attracting animals (generally ants) that prey on herbivores, or by discouraging herbivores from feeding on the plant. Floral nectar is presented inside the flower close to the reproductive organs and rewards animals that perform pollination while visiting the flower. In both cases nectar is a source of carbon and nitrogen compounds that feed animals, the most abundant solutes being sugars and amino acids. Plant-animal relationships involving the two types of nectar have therefore been used for a long time as text-book examples of symmetric mutualism: services provided by animals to plants in exchange for food provided by plants to animals. Cheating (or deception or exploitation), namely obtaining the reward/service without returning any counterpart, is however, well-known in mutualistic relationships, since the interacting partners have conflicting interests and selection may favor cheating strategies. A more subtle way of exploiting mutualism was recently highlighted. It implies the evolution of strategies to maximize the benefits obtained by one partner while still providing the reward/service to the other partner. Several substances other than sugars and amino acids have been found in nectar and some affect the foraging behavior of insects and potentially increase the benefits to the plant. Such substances can be considered plant cues to exploit mutualism. Recent evidence motivated some authors to use the term "manipulation" of animals by plants in nectar-mediated mutualistic relationships. This review highlights the recent background of the "manipulation" hypothesis, discussing it in the framework of new ecological and evolutionary scenarios in plant-animal interactions, as a stimulus for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Nepi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Donato A. Grasso
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Mancuso
- Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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9
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Sandoval-Molina MA, Zavaleta-Mancera HA, León-Solano HJ, Solache-Ramos LT, Jenner B, Morales-Rodríguez S, Patrón-Soberano A, Janczur MK. First description of extrafloral nectaries in Opuntia robusta (Cactaceae): Anatomy and ultrastructure. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200422. [PMID: 30016339 PMCID: PMC6049920 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To our knowledge, there are no studies about the structure and ecological function of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) in Opuntia robusta. This is the first description of EFNs in O. robusta, where young spines have an interesting structure and a secreting function, which are different from EFNs described in other Cactaceae species. We used light, scanning-electron, and transmission-electron microscopy to examine morphology, anatomy, and ultrastructure of the secretory spines in areoles in female and hermaphrodite individuals of O. robusta. Young cladodes develop areoles with modified and secretory spines as EFNs only active during the early growth phase. EFNs are non-vascularized structures, with no stomata, that consist of a basal meristematic tissue, a middle elongation region, and an apical secretory cone formed by large globular epidermal cells, containing nectar and medullar elongated cells. We observed the presence of Golgi apparatus, vesicles and plastids in the medullar and sup-epidermal cells of the spine. We propose that the nectar is stored in the globular cells at the apex of the spine and secreted by breaking through the globular cells or by pores. We recorded a more frequent presence of ants on younger cladode sprouts producing young secreting spines: this result is parallel with the predictions of Optimal Defense Hypothesis, which states that younger plant organs should be better defended than older ones because their loss produces a higher fitness impairment. Although Diaz-Castelazo's hypothesis states that a more complex structure of EFNs correlates with their lower among-organs dispersion, comparing to less complex EFNs, non-vascularized structure of EFNs in O. robusta is not associated with their higher among-organs dispersion likened to O. stricta, which produces vascularized EFNs. We provide evidence that this characteristic is not a good taxonomic feature of Opuntia genus. Moreover, the comparison of EFNs of O. robusta and O. stricta suggests that the hypothesis of Diaz-Castelazo should be revised: it is rather a rule but not a law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Alberto Sandoval-Molina
- Research Group in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
- Instituto de Ecología, El Haya, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Hilda Araceli Zavaleta-Mancera
- Unidad de Microscopía Electrónica, Postgrado en Botánica, Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de México
| | - Héctor Javier León-Solano
- Research Group in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
- Graduate Program in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (PCARN), Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - Lupita Tzenyatze Solache-Ramos
- Research Group in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
- Graduate Program in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (PCARN), Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
| | - Bartosz Jenner
- Evidence Generation & Clinical Research RB, Hull, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Mariusz Krzysztof Janczur
- Research Group in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Natural Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
- Graduate Program in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (PCARN), Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Estado de México, México
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10
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Clay NA, Lehrter RJ, Kaspari M. Towards a geography of omnivory: Omnivores increase carnivory when sodium is limiting. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1523-1531. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Kaspari
- Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman OK USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panama
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11
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Pohl S, Frederickson ME, Elgar MA, Pierce NE. Colony Diet Influences Ant Worker Foraging and Attendance of Myrmecophilous Lycaenid Caterpillars. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Bockoven AA, Wilder SM, Eubanks MD. Intraspecific Variation among Social Insect Colonies: Persistent Regional and Colony-Level Differences in Fire Ant Foraging Behavior. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133868. [PMID: 26197456 PMCID: PMC4510567 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals vary within a species in many ecologically important ways, but the causes and consequences of such variation are often poorly understood. Foraging behavior is among the most profitable and risky activities in which organisms engage and is expected to be under strong selection. Among social insects there is evidence that within-colony variation in traits such as foraging behavior can increase colony fitness, but variation between colonies and the potential consequences of such variation are poorly documented. In this study, we tested natural populations of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, for the existence of colony and regional variation in foraging behavior and tested the persistence of this variation over time and across foraging habitats. We also reared single-lineage colonies in standardized environments to explore the contribution of colony lineage. Fire ants from natural populations exhibited significant and persistent colony and regional-level variation in foraging behaviors such as extra-nest activity, exploration, and discovery of and recruitment to resources. Moreover, colony-level variation in extra-nest activity was significantly correlated with colony growth, suggesting that this variation has fitness consequences. Lineage of the colony had a significant effect on extra-nest activity and exploratory activity and explained approximately half of the variation observed in foraging behaviors, suggesting a heritable component to colony-level variation in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison A. Bockoven
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Shawn M. Wilder
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Micky D. Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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13
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Grasso DA, Pandolfi C, Bazihizina N, Nocentini D, Nepi M, Mancuso S. Extrafloral-nectar-based partner manipulation in plant-ant relationships. AOB PLANTS 2015; 7:plv002. [PMID: 25589521 PMCID: PMC4326690 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Plant-ant interactions are generally considered as mutualisms, with both parties gaining benefits from the association. It has recently emerged that some of these mutualistic associations have, however, evolved towards other forms of relationships and, in particular, that plants may manipulate their partner ants to make reciprocation more beneficial, thereby stabilizing the mutualism. Focusing on plants bearing extrafloral nectaries, we review recent studies and address three key questions: (i) how can plants attract potential partners and maintain their services; (ii) are there compounds in extrafloral nectar that could mediate partner manipulation; and (iii) are ants susceptible to such compounds? After reviewing the current knowledge on plant-ant associations, we propose a possible scenario where plant-derived chemicals, such as secondary metabolites, known to have an impact on animal brain, could have evolved in plants to attract and manipulate ant behaviour. This new viewpoint would place plant-animal interaction in a different ecological context, opening new ecological and neurobiological perspectives of drug seeking and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Grasso
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Viale delle Scienze 11/a, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - C Pandolfi
- LINV - Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy
| | - N Bazihizina
- LINV - Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy
| | - D Nocentini
- Department of Life Science, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - M Nepi
- Department of Life Science, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - S Mancuso
- LINV - Department of Agrifood Production and Environmental Sciences, University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy
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Heil M. Extrafloral nectar at the plant-insect interface: a spotlight on chemical ecology, phenotypic plasticity, and food webs. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY 2015; 60:213-32. [PMID: 25564741 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-010814-020753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Plants secrete extrafloral nectar (EFN) as an induced defense against herbivores. EFN contains not only carbohydrates and amino acids but also pathogenesis-related proteins and other protective enzymes, making EFN an exclusive reward. EFN secretion is commonly induced after wounding, likely owing to a jasmonic acid-induced cell wall invertase, and is limited by phloem sucrose availability: Both factors control EFN secretion according to the optimal defense hypothesis. Non-ant EFN consumers include parasitoids, wasps, spiders, mites, bugs, and predatory beetles. Little is known about the relevance of EFN to the nutrition of its consumers and, hence, to the structuring of arthropod communities. The mutualism can be established quickly among noncoevolved (e.g., invasive) species, indicating its easy assembly is due to ecological fitting. Therefore, increasing efforts are directed toward using EFN in biocontrol. However, documentation of the importance of EFN for the communities of plants and arthropods in natural, invasive, and agricultural ecosystems is still limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Heil
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, CINVESTAV-Irapuato, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, México;
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15
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Jones IM, Koptur S. Dynamic extrafloral nectar production: the timing of leaf damage affects the defensive response in Senna mexicana var. chapmanii (Fabaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:58-66. [PMID: 25587148 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1400381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Extrafloral nectar (EFN) mediates food for protection mutualisms between plants and defensive insects. Understanding sources of variation in EFN production is important because such variations may affect the number and identity of visitors and the effectiveness of plant defense. We investigated the influence of plant developmental stage, time of day, leaf age, and leaf damage on EFN production in Senna mexicana var. chapmanii. The observed patterns of variation in EFN production were compared with those predicted by optimal defense theory.• METHODS Greenhouse experiments with potted plants were conducted to determine how plant age, time of day, and leaf damage affected EFN production. A subsequent field study was conducted to determine how leaf damage, and the resulting increase in EFN production, affected ant visitation in S. chapmanii.• KEY RESULTS More nectar was produced at night and by older plants. Leaf damage resulted in increased EFN production, and the magnitude of the response was greater in plants damaged in the morning than those damaged at night. Damage to young leaves elicited a stronger defensive response than damage to older leaves, in line with optimal defense theory. Damage to the leaves of S. chapmanii also resulted in significantly higher ant visitation in the field.• CONCLUSIONS Extrafloral nectar is an inducible defense in S. chapmanii. Developmental variations in its production support the growth differentiation balance hypothesis, while within-plant variations and damage responses support optimal defense theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, Florida 33199 USA
| | - Suzanne Koptur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, Florida 33199 USA
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16
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Rudolph KP, Palmer TM. Carbohydrate as Fuel for Foraging, Resource Defense and Colony Growth - a Long-term Experiment with the Plant-antCrematogaster nigriceps. Biotropica 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Heil
- Departamento de Ingeniería Genética; CINVESTAV; Irapuato; México
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18
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Intercontinental differences in resource use reveal the importance of mutualisms in fire ant invasions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011; 108:20639-44. [PMID: 22143788 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1115263108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutualisms play key roles in the functioning of ecosystems. However, reciprocally beneficial interactions that involve introduced species also can enhance invasion success and in doing so compromise ecosystem integrity. For example, the growth and competitive ability of introduced plant species can increase when fungal or microbial associates provide limiting nutrients. Mutualisms also may aid animal invasions, but how such systems may promote invasion success has received relatively little attention. Here we examine how access to food-for-protection mutualisms involving the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) aids the success of this prominent invader. Intense interspecific competition in its native Argentina constrained the ability of S. invicta to benefit from honeydew-producing Hemiptera (and other accessible sources of carbohydrates), whereas S. invicta dominated these resources in its introduced range in the United States. Consistent with this strong pattern, nitrogen isotopic data revealed that fire ants from populations in the United States occupy a lower trophic position than fire ants from Argentina. Laboratory and field experiments demonstrated that honeydew elevated colony growth, a crucial determinant of competitive performance, even when insect prey were not limiting. Carbohydrates, obtained largely through mutualistic partnerships with other organisms, thus represent critical resources that may aid the success of this widespread invasive species. These results illustrate the potential for mutualistic interactions to play a fundamental role in the establishment and spread of animal invasions.
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19
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Stenberg JA, Lehrman A, Björkman C. Plant defence: Feeding your bodyguards can be counter-productive. Basic Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2011.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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20
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Wilder SM, Eubanks MD. Might nitrogen limitation promote omnivory among carnivorous arthropods? Comment. Ecology 2010; 91:3114-7. [DOI: 10.1890/09-2080.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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21
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Christensen KL, Gallacher AP, Martin L, Tong D, Elgar MA. Nutrient compensatory foraging in a free-living social insect. Naturwissenschaften 2010; 97:941-4. [PMID: 20689904 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0705-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The geometric framework model predicts that animal foraging decisions are influenced by their dietary history, with animals targeting a combination of essential nutrients through compensatory foraging. We provide experimental confirmation of nutrient-specific compensatory foraging in a natural, free-living population of social insects by supplementing their diet with sources of protein- or carbohydrate-rich food. Colonies of the ant Iridomyrmex suchieri were provided with feeders containing food rich in either carbohydrate or protein for 6 days, and were then provided with a feeder containing the same or different diet. The patterns of recruitment were consistent with the geometric framework: while feeders with a carbohydrate diet typically attracted more workers than did feeders with protein diet, the difference in recruitment between the two nutrients was smaller if the colonies had had prior access to carbohydrate than protein. Further, fewer ants visited feeders if the colony had had prior access to protein than to carbohydrates, suggesting that the larvae play a role in worker foraging behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keri L Christensen
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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22
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Wilder SM, Suarez AV, Eubanks MD. The use of simulation modeling to evaluate the mechanisms responsible for the nutritional benefits of food-for-protection mutualisms. Ecol Modell 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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