In Amazonian rain forest trees of Vochysia vismiaefolia (Vochysiaceae), ants were found to induce twig structures that resembled classical ant domatia. This phenomenon is novel for ant-plants, which commonly develop domatia without the activity of ants. Eight species of ants were recorded inside the domatia of six individual trees, but domatia were most numerous and characteristic when induced and inhabited by an undescribed species of Pseudomyrmex on two trees. To investigate the mechanism of domatium growth, we drilled holes into young twigs: the expansion of the twig diameter surrounding the holes was significantly accelerated, comparable to domatia formation. Domatia induction is discussed as a putative step in the evolution of ant-plants.
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1 December 2001
Ants Induce Domatia in a Rain Forest Tree (Vochysia vismiaefolia)
Nico Blüthgen,
Jens Wesenberg
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BIOTROPICA
Vol. 33 • No. 4
December 2001
Vol. 33 • No. 4
December 2001
ant-plants
induced response
myrmecophytes
Pseudomyrmex
Surumoni canopy crane
Tropical rain forest
Venezuela