caa a22 4500 46909804X CHVBK 20180323133037.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170328e19920801xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF00317792 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF00317792 Bigger ant colonies reduce herbivory and herbivore residence time on leaves of an ant-plant: Azteca muelleri vs. Coelomera ruficornis on Cecropia pachystachya [Elektronische Daten] [Carlos Rocha, Helena Bergallo] Summary: The effect of defence force size in colonies of the ant Azteca muelleri on the time spent to localize, attack and expel the specialized herbivorous beetle Coelomera ruficornis from Cecropia pachystachya bushes was studied in an area of Atlantic forest in northeastern Brazil. Our results show that Azteca muelleri expel Coelomera ruficornis from Cecropia pachystachya and that the number of ants leaving a colony (defence force size) is negatively correlated with the residence time of an adult beetle on the plant. Colonies with larger defence forces recruited larger numbers of ants, resulting in faster herbivore discovery (r 2=0.80; n=17; P<0.001) and reduced herbivore residence time on a leaf (r 2=0.79 n=23; P<0.001) before being driven off by the ants. We also found a negative and significant relationship between herbivore damage on leaves and ant colony size (r 2=0.28; n=17; P<0.05). We conclude that larger colonies have more individuals available to patrol a plant and recruit defenders toward herbivores. This reduces the time spent to locate and expel susceptible herbivores from the plant. Since the plant probably benefits from reduced herbivory and the plant provides food for the ants, the association between Azteca muelleri and Cecropia pachystachya appears mutualistic. Springer-Verlag, 1992 Mutualism nationallicence Myrmecophily nationallicence Cecropia pachystachya nationallicence Azteca muelleri nationallicence Coelomera ruficornis nationallicence Rocha Carlos Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, C.P. 6109, 13081, Campinas, SP, Brazil aut Bergallo Helena Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, C.P. 6109, 13081, Campinas, SP, Brazil aut Oecologia Springer-Verlag 91/2(1992-08-01), 249-252 0029-8549 91:2<249 1992 91 442 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317792 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00317792 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Rocha Carlos Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, C.P. 6109, 13081, Campinas, SP, Brazil aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Bergallo Helena Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, C.P. 6109, 13081, Campinas, SP, Brazil aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Oecologia Springer-Verlag 91/2(1992-08-01), 249-252 0029-8549 91:2<249 1992 91 442 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer