Direct and indirect effects of ant–trophobiont interactions on the reproduction of a hummingbird-pollinated mistletoe

• Published in: Plant ecology Vol. 223; no. 3; pp. 285 - 296
• Main Authors: Ferreira, Vanessa C. M., Neves, Frederico S., Guerra, Tadeu J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Ants; Applied Ecology; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Camponotus rufipes; Community & Population Ecology; Crop production; Crops; Ecology; Eupetomena macroura; Feeding; field experimentation; Fruit; Fruits; Germination; Herbivores; Host plants; Hummingbirds; Insects; Life cycles; Life Sciences; Plant Ecology; plant establishment; Pollinators; Psittacanthus robustus; Reduction; reproduction; Santalales; sap; Seed germination; seed size; Seedlings; Seeds; Terrestial Ecology; Fluid-feeding herbivores; Ants; Loranthaceae; Pollination

Fluid-feeding herbivores directly affect host plants through sap consumption. Moreover, they establish mutualistic relationships with ants, which might generate additional reproductive costs related to pollinator repellence. Here we studied the drivers of variation in the outcomes of these interacti...