Herbivory and assemblage structure of myrmecophytous understory plants and their associated ants in the central Amazon

Summary The species combinations of myrmecophytic plants were compared in three different, neighboring local central Amazon forest sites. The proportional contribution of myrmecophytes in each setting varied significantly, withMaieta guainensis being the most abundant in each locality. This pattern resulted in low site similarity values. Other recorded species wereHirtella physophora, Tachigalia myrmecophila, Duroia sp.,Tococa sp., andCordia nodosa. Little variability was found with respect to associated ants that inhabited the myrmecophytes, and mutual entropies indicated a high degree of mutualistic interactions. However, for the majority of myrmecophytes, no differences in herbivore damage levels could be attributed to the presence of ants, with onlyM. guianensis andT. myrmecophila demonstrating significantly lower damages when inhabited by ants. Their respective ant associates,Pheidole minitula andPseudomyrmex concolor, were thus the only plant-ants with a demonstrable ability to reduce the levels of herbivory in their host plant.