Co-existence of ants and an arboreal earthworm in a myrmecophyte of the Indian Western Ghats: anti-predation effect of the earthworm mucus

• Published in: Journal of tropical ecology Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 341 - 344
• Main Authors: Gaume, Laurence, Shenoy, Megha, Zacharias, Merry, Borges, Renee M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2006; Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Subjects: Acidity; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Anoxia; ant-plant; anti-predation mechanism; Ants; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; domatia; Drought; Earthworms; Ecology; Fabaceae; Flooding; Forest insects; Forest soils; Formicidae; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humboldtia; India; Insect behavior; Insect ecology; Invertebrates; Leaves; Life Sciences; Megascolecidae; Mucus; Mudflows; Nectaries; Oligochaeta; Perionyx; Populations and Evolution; Rainforests; repellent secretion; Short Communications; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; tropical forest; Tropical forests; repellent secretion; tropical forest; domatia; Humboldtia; anti-predation mechanism; ant-plant; Perionyx; India; Secretion; Tropical forest; Predation; Repellent secretion; Ant-plant; Anti-predation mechanism
• ISSN: 0266-4674; 1469-7831
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266467405003111

Arboreal earthworms are scarce in tropical rain forests, being confined to tree trunks or epiphytes (Fragoso & Rojas-Fernandez 1996). Their above-ground presence might be attributed to (1) temporary responses to flooding (Adis & Righi 1989), (2) permanent responses to acidity, flooding and anoxia of very wet forest soils (Lee 1983), (3) drought (Fragoso & Rojas-Fernandez 1996), (4) accidental events, e.g. mudslides (Picado 1911), or (5) anti-predation responses, e.g. escape from army ants (Gotwald 1995).