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Foliar Extrafloral Nectar of Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae), a Paleotropic Ant‐plant,is Richer than Phloem Sap and More Attractive than Honeydew |
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| Authors: | Joyshree Chanam Srinivasan Kasinathan Gautam K Pramanik Amaraja Jagdeesh Kanchan A Joshi Renee M Borges |
| Institution: | Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India |
| Abstract: | The ant‐plant Humboldtia brunonis secretes extrafloral nectar (EFN) despite the lack of antiherbivore protection from most ants. EFN was richer in composition than phloem sap and honeydew from untended Hemiptera on the plant, suggesting that EFN could potentially distract ants from honeydew, since ants rarely tended Hemiptera on this plant. |
| Keywords: | ant– plant interaction extrafloral nectar honeydew India phloem sap trophic mutualism tropical wet forest Western Ghats |