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Fire triggers the activity of extrafloral nectaries, but ants fail to protect the plant against herbivores in a neotropical savanna

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Abstract

Herbivores are attracted to young shoots and leaves because of their tender tissues. However, in extrafloral nectaried plants, young leaves also attract patrolling ants, which may chase or prey on herbivores. We examined this scenario in extrafloral nectaried shrubs of Banisteriopsis malifolia resprouting after fire, which promoted both the aseasonal production of leaves and the activity of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). Results were compared between resprouting (burned) and unburned control plants. The aggressive ant species Camponotus crassus and the herbivorous thrips Pseudophilothrips obscuricornis were respectively rapidly attracted to resprouting plants because of the active EFNs and their less sclerophyllous leaves. The abundance of these insects was almost negligible in the control (unburned) shrubs. Ants failed to protect B. malifolia, as no thrips were preyed upon or injured by ants in resprouting plants. Consequently, on average, 37 % of leaves from resprouting shrubs had necrosis marks. Upon contact with ants, thrips released small liquid droplets from their abdomen, which rapidly displaced ants from the surroundings. This study shows that P. obscuricornis disrupted the facultative mutualism between C. crassus and B. malifolia, since ants received extrafloral nectar from plants, but were unable to deter herbivore thrips.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank A. Bächtold, P.K.M. Mendonça, L. A. Kaminski and D. Lange for suggestions on early versions of the manuscript and the staff of the Clube de Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, where the fieldwork was carried out. We are also grateful to CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and Fapemig (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais) for financial support.

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  1. Institute of Biology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Ceará Str. 2D Building, Umuarama Campus, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil

    Estevão Alves-Silva & Kleber Del-Claro

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  1. Estevão Alves-Silva
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  2. Kleber Del-Claro
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Correspondence to Kleber Del-Claro.

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Alves-Silva, E., Del-Claro, K. Fire triggers the activity of extrafloral nectaries, but ants fail to protect the plant against herbivores in a neotropical savanna. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 8, 233–240 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-014-9301-8

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