Ant-Plant Interactions

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Indirect defense of plants via ants

Many plant species produce extrafloral nectar on organs such as leaves, stems, and buds, thereby attracting ants, which in turn defend them against herbivores. We clarified the significance of extrafloral nectar for plants on the oceanic Ogasawara Islands.



Ants collecting extrafloral nectar


Seed-disperal by ants

Ants are important seed dispersers. Seed dispersal by ants is termed myrmecochory. Myrmecochorous plants generally produce seeds with individual elaiosomes, which attract ants. We found the seed dispersal of a ericaceous species by ants.



An ant carrying seeds



Relevant publications

Sugiura, S., Abe, T. & Makino, S. (2006) Loss of extrafloral nectary on an oceanic island plant and its consequences for herbivory. American Journal of Botany, 93 (3): 491-495.

Sugiura, S. & Yamazaki, K. (2005) Seed dispersal of Epigaea asiatica (Ericaceae) by ants. Bulletin of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 4(3): 201-206. (PDF1.1MB)



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