RE: Insects and plants
- To: r*@agric.wa.gov.au
- Subject: RE: Insects and plants
- From: B*@monterey.edu (Barry Garcia)
- Date: Sun, 02 May 1999 19:04:24 -0700
rprandall@agric.wa.gov.au writes:
>My guess would be that the ants are grazing the aphids,
>many ants develop a symbiotic relationship with aphids
>or other sap sucking insects that provide the ants with
>feed of sugary exudates in return for protection.
>
>The other option is that many plants try to beat the aphids
>and other sap sucking insects by producing small nectaries
>that in effect reward the ants for protecting the plant from other
>insects.
>I'm not sure if peonies have nectaries, but is they have no
>other insects on them look carefully at the leaf base or petiole
>base to see if the antsare attracted to these areas. Nectaries can be
>quite small be are visible to the naked eye.
>
>
>Bribery and corruption eh? ;-)
>
>Cheers, Rod
one of the coolest examples of these (And im getting off on non
medit-plant, plants, forgive =) ) is the symbiotic relationsip between
some tropical New world acacias and fierce stinging ants. The acacias
provide the ants with a home (By way of swollen thorns that the ants
hollow out for nests, food (Sugary exudates from the leaf petioles, and
the beltian bodies (lipid/protein) produced at the tips of the leaflets.
In return for this, the ants protect the tree from attacks by insects, and
grazing animals. Also the ants are known to clear seedlings and keep vines
from strangling the plants.
Anyway i have also seen ants all over my pumpkin vines before. They didnt
seem to hurt the plants and seemed to be living (or at least venturing
into) the hollow stems. I've also found them within the flowers also. But,
i have never seen any other insects on the vines while the ants were there.
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