Life Sciences Commons^™

Host Plant Use By Competing Acacia-Ants: Mutualists Monopolize While Parasites Share Hosts, Stefanie Kautz, Daniel J. Ballhorn, Johannes Kroiss, Steffen U. Pauls, Corrie S. Moreau, Sascha Eilmus, Erhard Strohm, Martin Heil

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Protective ant-plant mutualisms that are exploited by non-defending parasitic ants represent prominent model systems for ecology and evolutionary biology. The mutualist Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus is an obligate plant-ant and fully depends on acacias for nesting space and food. The parasite Pseudomyrmex gracilis facultatively nests on acacias and uses host-derived food rewards but also external food sources. Integrative analyses of genetic microsatellite data, cuticular hydrocarbons and behavioral assays showed that an individual acacia might be inhabited by the workers of several P. gracilis queens, whereas one P. ferrugineus colony monopolizes one or more host trees. Despite these differences in social organization, neither …