Increased host investment in extrafloral nectar (EFN) improves the efficiency of a mutualistic defensive service.

Extrafloral nectar (EFN) plays an important role as plant indirect defence through the attraction of defending ants. Like all rewards produced in the context of a mutualism, however, EFN is in danger of being exploited by non-ant consumers that do not defend the plant against herbivores. Here we ask...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Marcia González-Teuber, Juan Carlos Silva Bueno, Martin Heil, Wilhelm Boland
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2012-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23056362/?tool=EBI