Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants
Interactions between ants and plants vary from being occasionally beneficial to neutral and negative. Ant-mediated dispersal of obligatory myrmecochorous plants is considered mutualistic interaction, providing benefits to plants in terms of seed dispersal. Ants are rewarded by providing elaiosome, s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/4/386 |
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| author | Pavol Prokop Jana Fančovičová Zuzana Hlúšková |
| author_facet | Pavol Prokop Jana Fančovičová Zuzana Hlúšková |
| author_sort | Pavol Prokop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Interactions between ants and plants vary from being occasionally beneficial to neutral and negative. Ant-mediated dispersal of obligatory myrmecochorous plants is considered mutualistic interaction, providing benefits to plants in terms of seed dispersal. Ants are rewarded by providing elaiosome, sugar, lipid and protein-rich appendages attached to seeds (diaspores). We experimentally examine rates of diaspore removal rates among three species of plants (snowdrop <i>Galanthus nivalis</i>, hollow root <i>Corydalis cava</i> and European wild ginger <i>Asarum europaeum</i>) under field conditions in two study sites in Central Europe. Diaspore morphology is altered by manipulating both elaiosome and seed size. The small-sized acorn ant <i>Temnothorax crassispinus</i> interacts with the snowdrop and hollow root and the moderately-sized red ant <i>Myrmica ruginodis</i> interacts with European wild ginger. Experimental manipulation with elaiosomes yields largely non-significant results. Diaspore removal rates are generally low (snowdrop 10%, hollow root 26%, European wild ginger 34%) probably due to the small size of ants relative to heavy diaspores. Many ants are observed to consume elaiosomes in situ (cheating). We conclude that ant–plant relationships in this case are not mutualistic but rather neutral/slightly negative, because the plants do not obtain any apparent benefits from their interactions with ants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:31:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a9c1ef87c1cc4dfeb5055830ce285ac3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:31:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-a9c1ef87c1cc4dfeb5055830ce285ac32023-11-30T21:18:16ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-04-0113438610.3390/insects13040386Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering PlantsPavol Prokop0Jana Fančovičová1Zuzana Hlúšková2Department of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Education, Trnava University, 918 43 Trnava, SlovakiaElementary School Janka Palu 2, 914 41 Nemšová, SlovakiaInteractions between ants and plants vary from being occasionally beneficial to neutral and negative. Ant-mediated dispersal of obligatory myrmecochorous plants is considered mutualistic interaction, providing benefits to plants in terms of seed dispersal. Ants are rewarded by providing elaiosome, sugar, lipid and protein-rich appendages attached to seeds (diaspores). We experimentally examine rates of diaspore removal rates among three species of plants (snowdrop <i>Galanthus nivalis</i>, hollow root <i>Corydalis cava</i> and European wild ginger <i>Asarum europaeum</i>) under field conditions in two study sites in Central Europe. Diaspore morphology is altered by manipulating both elaiosome and seed size. The small-sized acorn ant <i>Temnothorax crassispinus</i> interacts with the snowdrop and hollow root and the moderately-sized red ant <i>Myrmica ruginodis</i> interacts with European wild ginger. Experimental manipulation with elaiosomes yields largely non-significant results. Diaspore removal rates are generally low (snowdrop 10%, hollow root 26%, European wild ginger 34%) probably due to the small size of ants relative to heavy diaspores. Many ants are observed to consume elaiosomes in situ (cheating). We conclude that ant–plant relationships in this case are not mutualistic but rather neutral/slightly negative, because the plants do not obtain any apparent benefits from their interactions with ants.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/4/386elaiosome removalmyrmecochorysnowdrop |
| spellingShingle | Pavol Prokop Jana Fančovičová Zuzana Hlúšková Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants Insects elaiosome removal myrmecochory snowdrop |
| title | Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants |
| title_full | Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants |
| title_fullStr | Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants |
| title_short | Seed Dispersal by Ants in Three Early-Flowering Plants |
| title_sort | seed dispersal by ants in three early flowering plants |
| topic | elaiosome removal myrmecochory snowdrop |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/4/386 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pavolprokop seeddispersalbyantsinthreeearlyfloweringplants AT janafancovicova seeddispersalbyantsinthreeearlyfloweringplants AT zuzanahluskova seeddispersalbyantsinthreeearlyfloweringplants |