The genus Tococa is comprised of 47 species of small trees and shrubs distributed from southern Mexico to Bolivia. About 30 of the species have ant domatia that develop at the base of the leaf blade or at the apex of the petiole. Ant exclusion experiments on three different species of Tococa occupying different environments were carried out to assess their effect in protecting the plant against herbivores. Additionally, ant behavior was monitored in control plants to study how they might be conferring protection against herbivory. Herbivory was significantly lower on control plants (ants maintained) than on experimental plants (ants removed), demonstrating the role of the ants as defenses against herbivores. Herbivory rates in open and disturbed areas were higher than in the forest understory. Ant exclusion experiments showed that both timid and aggressive ants protect their host plants against potential herbivores by killing or warding off scouts of leaf-cutter ants (Atta sp.) and removing the eggs of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera from the surface of the plants.