Information about predation risks is critical for herbivorous insects, and natural selection favors their ability to detect predators before oviposition select enemy‐free foliage when offspring mortality risk high. Food plants are selected by ovipositing butterflies, survival frequently varies among because of variation in the presence predators. Eunica bechina butterflies oviposit on Caryocar brasiliense, an ant‐defended plant. Experiments with dried Camponotus Cephalotes ants pinned leaves...

Plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are common in the Brazilian cerrado savanna, where climatic conditions having marked seasonality influence arboreal ant fauna organization. These ant-plant interactions have rarely been studied at community level. Here, we tested whether: 1) EFN-bearing plants more visited by ants than EFN-lacking plants; 2) visitation is higher rainy season dry season; 3) producing young leaves those lacking 4) during season, with old and flowers bare of or...

ABSTRACT Aim Trait variation across geographic gradients can reveal how species respond to different environmental settings, which is crucial under the growing threat of climate change. Although on basis evolutionary theory, patterns and drivers intraspecific functional remain largely underexplored. In ants, pilosity body size are morphological traits associated thermoregulation heat tolerance, critical concerns in context global warming. Here, we focused dominant ant Camponotus crassus...

Ants frequently interact with fleshy fruits on the ground of tropical forests. This interaction is regarded as mutualistic because seeds benefit from enhanced germination and dispersal to nutrient-rich microsites, whereas ants consuming nutritious pulp/aril. Considering that process deforestation affects many attributes ecosystem such species abundance composition, interspecific interactions, we asked whether between fallen in Brazilian Atlantic forest differs human-created fragments...

Ant foraging on foliage can substantially affect how phytophagous insects use host plants and represents a high predation risk for caterpillars, which are important folivores. Ant-plant-herbivore interactions especially pervasive in cerrado savanna due to continuous ant visitation liquid food sources (extrafloral nectaries, insect honeydew). While searching rewards plants, aggressive ants frequently attack or kill herbivores, decreasing their numbers. Because vary diet aggressiveness, effect...

Abstract An open question in the evolutionary ecology of ant‐plant facultative mutualism is how other members associated community can affect interaction to a point where reciprocal benefits are disrupted. While visiting Qualea grandiflora shrubs collect sugary rewards at extrafloral nectaries, tropical savanna ants deter herbivores and reduce leaf damage. Here we show that larvae fly Rhinoleucophenga myrmecophaga , which develop on lure potentially mutualistic, nectar‐feeding prey them....

Abstract: Successional state of forest and availability pioneer plants are recognized factors affecting densities leaf-cutting ants. However little is known about how abiotic can shape nest distributions. We investigated the effect topography, soil, successional inundation risk on density size Atta cephalotes colonies along streams in a tropical wet Costa Rica. In each type, we surveyed 12 sites, site comprising five transects (10 × 100 m) varying topography proximity to streambeds. found no...

1. Predatory ants may reduce infestation by herbivorous insects, and slow‐moving L epidopteran larvae are often vulnerable on foliage. We investigate whether caterpillars with morphological or behavioural defences have decreased risk of falling prey to ants, if defence traits mediate host plant use in ant‐rich cerrado savanna. 2. Caterpillars were surveyed four localities southeast B razil (70–460 km apart). The efficacy caterpillar defensive against predation two common ant species ( C...

Normal 0 21 false PT-BR X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabela normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt;...

Many bee species are able to defend themselves against pollen or honey thievery. We herein report the functional role of small sticky particles deposited by Tetragonisca angustula Latreille in its nest entrance external side. This strategy was very effective prevent ants from invading bees’ nest. reported many dead attached and different ant easily immobilized after being moved onto tube containing particles. is first description played under natural conditions..

Abstract Army ants are keystone predators in the tropics and subtropics. During reproduction, males fly between colonies to mate with unmated, wingless queens. The of most species attracted lights, thus their presence timing reproduction can be monitored using light traps. Previous studies examined seasonality army ant male its relationship climate factors at individual sites, but less is known about variation among sites. We flight three sites: (1) La Selva Biological Station Costa Rica, a...

1. Ants may select their food in response to nutritional needs of the colony and forage a way that optimises complementary nutrition. Even though resource availability is known affect ant individual health, there still no study has investigated plastic preferences ants according spatial naturally heterogeneous conditions. 2. Beaches are great biomes test foraging preference because complete absence nectaries can be found. Dorymyrmex nigra Pergande 1896 was found inhabiting beach southeastern...

Sit-and-wait predators use different strategies to encounter potential prey. Rhinoleucophenga myrmecophaga Vidal et (Vidal Vilela; Diptera: Drosophilidae) larvae build sticky shelters on top of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) Qualea grandiflora Mart (Vochysiaceae), a common plant in the Brazilian cerrado savanna. Although larval block EFNs, nectar production is not obstructed and used by attract trap nectar-gathering ants that are eventually eaten dipteran. Here we describe natural history R....

<title>Abstract</title> For more than six decades, ecologists have been investigating how biological communities are structured and the implications for conservation. The Niche Island Biogeography theories stand out as basis predictions related to diversity-environmental heterogeneity diversity-area relationships, respectively. Although positive relationships expected, relative roles of environmental (EH) area in structuring tropical lentic water body assemblages remain unclear, particularly...

Abstract In modern landscapes, understanding how land use and cover, specifically agriculture, affect biodiversity ecological functions is essential for conservation. According to Brazilian law, agroecosystems must include areas designated conservation called Legal Reserves. We evaluated the taxonomic functional diversity of foliage‐dwelling ants in Reserves south Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. aimed understand cover at different landscape scales ant fauna. sampled communities organic...

Abstract Understanding spatiotemporal patterns of roadkill is challenging but essential for mitigation. Spatiotemporal are seldom studied single species at broad scales. We evaluated the variation water snake Helicops infrataeniatus (Squamata, Dipsadidae) in three Brazilian roads stretching 540 km and spanning up to 6 years monitoring. modelled effect sampling effort, evaluation scale sample size on hotspot location over persistence between different also assessed annual variability hot...

Ants are conspicuous and dominant all over the globe. Their diversity abundance both peak in tropical regions of world gradually decline towards temperate latitudes. Nonetheless, certain species such as Formica can be locally abundant some countries. In subtropical numerous have been described, but many more remain to discovered. Multiple studies shown that ants represent a high percentage biomass individual count canopy forests. Moreover, it has established seldom organize subdominant...