Two species of harvester ants, Chelaner whitei and e. rathsteini, were studied in the far west of N .S. W. Data collected in both field and laboratory were used to study seed utilization and the effect of seed supply upon harvester ant populations. Nest density, foraging activity and colony reproduction were monitored throughout the study. Four nests of each species were excavated (one in each season) to determine nest structure, colony size and seasonal changes in colony composition. There were 156 colonies of e. whitei and 66 colonies of e. rathsteini on the study plot. Colonies ranged in size from 450 to 40,000 workers (e. whitei); and from 15,000 to 58,000 (e. rathsteini). e. whitei foraged all year round. e. rathsteini ceased foraging during winter. Peak foraging by both species occurred in summer, when both species predominantly gathered seeds of ephemeral grasses and forbs. Differences in see d selection by the two species were related to size, phenology and chemical composition of the seeds and fruit. All seeds taken into the colonies were eventually fed to the larvae. Food digested by the larvae was transmitted through the colony by trophallaxis (from larvae to the workers). The final st age larvae of e. rathsteini were found to act as a storage caste resulting in decreased foraging activity by this species when sufficient larval fat stores had accumulated. It is postulated that see d supply is the most important factor regulating populations of harvester ants. Finally, speculations are advanced concerning possible reciprocallong-term evolutionary effects of the interaction between harvester ants and plants.

Ant-plant Interactions in Australia

(I) Rubiaceous ant-epiphytes * 32s . . . . . . . . . (2) Dischidia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 (3) Fern ant-epiphytes . . . . . . . . . . . 328 (4) TiUandsia . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 IV. Benefit to the plants . . . . . . . . . . . . 331 (I) Rubiaceous ant-epiphytes . . . . . . . . . . 331 . . . . . . . . . . (2) Dischidia * 333 (3) Fern ant-epiphytes . . . . . . . . . . . 333 (4) Tiuandsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 V. Benefit to the ants . . . . . . (I) Iridomyrmex cordatus (Fr. Smith) . . (2) lridomymex cf. scrutator (det. R. Taylor)

Symbiosis between ants and epiphytes

Ants are the most common arboreal insects of tropical forests (Leston 1973; Erwin 1983; Wilson 1987) and possibly the most frequent animal contacts of epiphytic plants. It is not surprising, then, that epiphytes share a number of ecological interactions with ants, and that some of these interactions have become prominent features of epiphyte biology. Not only are ants abundant and ubiquitous, but their unique social attributes proffer a functional significance disproportionate to numbers. As eusocial insects (Wilson 1971), ants exhibit a division of colony labors between reproductive and sterile (worker) castes. Primary responsibility for more dangerous, extranidal activity resides with the workers, and the colony as a reproductive unit often enjoys considerable immunity from predation (Wilson 1971; Jeanne and Davidson 1984). Consequently, ant populations are often limited by food and/or nest sites (e.g. Wilson 1959; Leston 1973; Swain 1977; Brown and Davidson 1977) and are likely to be responsive over both ecological and evolutionary time to the provisioning of such resources by epiphytes and other plants. Relatively long life expectancies allow many ants to divert considerable energy and resources early in the life history to modifications of the nesting and foraging environments (Forel 1929). In turn, these modifications may further counteract negative abiotic and biotic selection pressures and further prolong colony lifespans.

Epiphytic Associations with Ants

Ant-garden (AG) associations are systems of epiphytic plants and arboricolous (i.e., tree-living) ants, in which the ants build fragile carton nests containing organic material. They collect and incorporate seeds or fruits of epiphytes that then germinate and grow on the nest [sensu Corbara et al. (1999) 38:73–89]. The plant roots stabilize the nest carton. AGs have been well-known in the neotropics for more than 100 years. In contrast, reports on similar associations in the paleotropics are scarce so far. After discovering a first common AG system on giant bamboo [Kaufmann et al. (2001) 48:125–133], we started a large-scale survey for AGs in Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Java, and southern Thailand. A great variety of AG systems (altogether including 18 ant species and 51 plant species) was discovered and is described in the present paper. The high number of species participating in AG associations was reflected by a great variability in the specific appearances of the nest gardens. Frequently, further groups of organisms (e.g., hemipteran trophobionts, fungi) were also involved. Preference patterns of particular ant and epiphyte species for each other and for particular phorophytes (carrier trees) were detected. We integrate domatia-producing, so-called ant-house epiphytes in our study and compare their phases of establishment, as well as other characteristics, to “classical” AGs, coming to the conclusion that they should be regarded only as a special type of AG epiphyte and not as a separate ecological category.

Ant-gardens of tropical Asian rainforests

Fern Ecology: Interactions of ferns with fungi and animals

The Azteca Ants of Solanopteris brunei

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The Azteca Ants of Solanopteris brunei

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Ant-plant Interactions in Australia

Symbiosis between ants and epiphytes

Epiphytic Associations with Ants

Ant-gardens of tropical Asian rainforests

Fern Ecology: Interactions of ferns with fungi and animals

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