Reduced chemical defence in ant-plants? A critical re-evaluation of a widely accepted hypothesis

• Published in: Oikos Vol. 99; no. 3; pp. 457 - 468
• Main Authors: Heil, Martin, Delsinne, Thibaut, Hilpert, Andrea, Schürkens, Steffen, Andary, Claude, Linsenmair, K. Eduard, Sousa S., Mario, McKey, Doyle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Munksgaard International Publishers 01.12.2002; Blackwell Publishers; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Ants; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Caterpillars; Flavonoids; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal spores; Herbivores; Leaves; Phytophagous insects; Plants; Plants and fungi; Species; Tannins; Insecta; Formicoidea; Flavonoid; Mutualism; Phytophagous; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Euphorbiaceae; Chemical composition; Aculeata; Formicidae; Interspecific comparison; Allelopathy; Biological activity; Sensitivity resistance; Leguminosae; Animal plant relation; Arthropoda; Myrmecophilous; Acacia; Phenols; Defense mechanism; Spermatophyta; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Vegetal tannin

Since its original formulation by Janzen in 1966, the hypothesis that obligate ant-plants (myrmecophytes) defended effectively against herbivores by resident mutualistic ants have reduced their direct, chemical defence has been widely adopted. We tested this hypothesis by quantifying three classes o...