Combined Effect of Different Flower Stem Features on the Visiting Frequency of the Generalist Ant <i>Lasius niger:</i> An Experimental Study
In order to understand the effects of the morphology and surface texture of flower stems in <i>Smyrnium rotundifolium</i> on the visiting frequency of generalist ants, we conducted experiments with <i>Lasius niger</i> ants running on dry wooden sticks mimicking different type...
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| Autores principales: | , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/93ac21a1486f476e8dc85e134c775c3d |
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| Sumario: | In order to understand the effects of the morphology and surface texture of flower stems in <i>Smyrnium rotundifolium</i> on the visiting frequency of generalist ants, we conducted experiments with <i>Lasius niger</i> ants running on dry wooden sticks mimicking different types of stems: (1) intact (grooved) sticks; (2) sticks painted with slaked (hydrated) lime (calcium carbonate coverage) imitating plant epicuticular wax coverage; (3) intact sticks with smooth polyester plate-shaped cuffs imitating upper leaves; and (4) intact sticks bearing cuffs painted with slaked lime. Ants were attracted by the sweet sugar syrup droplets placed on a stick tip, and the number of ants visiting the drops was counted. Our data showed significant differences in the visiting frequencies between the different types of stem-mimicking samples. The number of recorded ants progressively decreased in the following order of samples: intact sticks—painted sticks—sticks with intact cuffs—sticks with painted cuffs. These results clearly demonstrated that micro/nanoscopic surface coverages and macroscopic physical barriers, especially if combined, have a negative impact on the attractiveness of stems to ants. This study provides further evidence for the hypothesis that having a diversity of plant stems in the field, generalist ants prefer substrates where their locomotion is less hindered by obstacles and/or surface slipperiness. |
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