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Frequency of plant visits by the generalist ant Lasius niger depends on the surface microstructure of plant stems

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the visiting frequency of generalist ants to plants with different surface textures of their stems. We performed an experiment in which Lasius niger ants were attracted by sweet drops to flower stems of five plant species bearing different surface structures: Alchemilla mollis (wax projections and long tread-shaped trichomes), Lilium lancifolium (without wax, with ribbon-shaped trichomes and cuticular folds), Salvia nemorosa (without wax, with trichomes of various lengths and cuticular folds), Tulipa gesneriana (wax projections, no trichomes), and Paeonia lactiflora (neither of above surface features). As control samples, dry, smooth bamboo sticks were placed in the vicinity of experimental plant stems. Using cryo scanning electron microscopy, the micromorphology of stem surfaces was examined. The present study demonstrates that, on the one hand, ants avoid climbing wax-covered stems, if trichomes are lacking. On the other hand, some trichome-bearing stems having specific trichome micromorphologies were also ignored by ants. The strongest attractiveness was revealed in glossy stems and stems covered with soft/floppy trichomes. This experiment supports the hypothesis that when exposed to a diversity of plant stems in the field, generalist ants choose substrates where their locomotion is less hampered by obstacles or slipperiness of surface. Presumably, additional locomotory efforts needed to master climbing on “greasy” or “spiny” stems lead to an increase of costs-to-benefits ratio. However, since every type of stem surface was visited at least once during the experiment, it does not automatically mean that ants are not capable of walking on such challenging surfaces.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 9, 24118, Kiel, Germany

    Stanislav N. Gorb & Elena V. Gorb

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  1. Stanislav N. Gorb
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  2. Elena V. Gorb
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Correspondence to Stanislav N. Gorb.

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Table S1

from Frequency of plant visits by the generalist ant Lasius niger depends on the surface microstructure of plant stems by Stanislav N. Gorb and Elena V. Gorb; Number of ant individuals counted on stem samples of Alchemilla mollis (Am1 – Am3), Lilium lancifolium (Ll1 – Ll7), Paeonia lactiflora (Pl1 – Pl4), Salvia nemorosa (Sn1 – Sn3), Tulipa gesneriana (Tg1 – Tg5), and reference bamboo sticks (Bs1 – Bs3) at the time of 17 visits of experimenters during seven days (168 h) (XLSX 12 KB)

Figure S1

from Frequency of plant visits by the generalist ant Lasius niger depends on the surface microstructure of plant stems by Stanislav N. Gorb and Elena V. Gorb; The map of the experimental area showing the experimental plant distribution. S1, S2, study sites 1 and 2, respectively. Arrows indicate directions from which ants arrived (JPG 319 KB)

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Gorb, S.N., Gorb, E.V. Frequency of plant visits by the generalist ant Lasius niger depends on the surface microstructure of plant stems. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 13, 311–320 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-019-09681-4

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