Re: [Aroid-l] Myrmecophilous Monstera????

**J* E* <j*@vanderbilt.edu>**

Adam,

I'd be curious as to whether the ants were truly living, i.e. nesting

et al. under the leaves, or just congregating and using the leaves as

cover. I have seen this sort of protective usage by both ants and

termites as they travel up and down tree trunks, both under shingle

foliage and right in next to bare stem vines that are anchored to the

trees. Of course, especially with termites, sometimes they build

their own tunnels that look remarkably like thinnish bare-stemmed

vines going up the tree. But all these cases I would suggest are more

for travelling purposes and not habitations. I'll be interested to

hear input from others.

Jonathan

While we are on the subject of shingling aroids - A friend of mine

recently got back from Panama where she was doing some field work,

and told me of how she found ants living under the juvenile

shingling foliage of a particular Monstera species she collected as

an herberium specimen. I had never heard of this occurring, and was

curioius if ants do regularly live under the shingle phase leaves in

a mutualistic relationship, as they are well-known to do in Hoya

imbricata as well as several species of Dischidia with similar

shingling habits. I just figured if it did regularly occur I would

have heard about it by now. Would be curious if ants are present in

Rhaphidophora as well.

Just curious!

Adam

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