Variation in resource size distribution around colonies changes ant–parasitoid interactions |
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Authors: | E B Wilkinson D H Feener Jr |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;(2) Present address: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611-0430, USA |
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Abstract: | The distribution of resources within habitats affects species abundance, richness and composition, but the role of resource
distribution in species interactions is rarely studied. In ant communities, changes in resource distribution within habitats
may influence behavioral interactions because many ant species are specialized to efficiently harvest a subset of available
resources. This study investigates whether interactions between the behaviorally dominant host ant Pheidole diversipilosa and its specialist parasitoid (Phoridae: Apocephalus orthocladus) depend on resource size distribution around the colony. Using in situ foraging arenas to manipulate parasitoid abundance
and resource size distribution around colonies, we tested whether variation in resource size distribution allows P. diversipilosa to alter its foraging behavior in ways that lessen the impact of parasitoid attack. P. diversipilosa colonies do not lower the impact of parasitoid attack by increasing the number of workers foraging individually on small
and widely dispersed resources. However, the presence of multiple large resources allows colonies to temporarily redistribute
soldier ants from resources patrolled by parasitoids to other resources not patrolled by parasitoids, and to maintain soldier
abundance at levels found in the absence of parasitoids. These results highlight the importance of placing behavioral interactions
within the context of variation in resource distribution. |
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