ANÁLISE DA AGRESSIVIDADE DE FORMIGAS À HERBÍVOROS EM PLANTAS COM NECTÁRIOS EXTRAFLORAIS

Abstract

Extrafloral nectaries attract ants that act in defense of plants from herbivores. In order to study the aggressive behavior of these ants in more detail, however, this defense is contingent on the ant's identity. Using standardized methods is an excellent tool to analyze the real mutualistic role of the ants involved in this system. The researchers use “baits” (termites) to assess whether, in addition to attacking, the ants also recruit companions and remove the baits from the plants. In this study we compiled all studies that evaluated the behavior of ants attacking baits (termites) on plants with extrafloral nectaries, and we sought to assess which ants most attack termites, whether they recruit and remove termites from plants, and which ones are healthy. the most important ants, in terms of frequency in plants and attack termites. The search for the collection of publications was performed on Academic Google using the keywords “termite”, “ant” and “extrafloral nectar*”. The articles were compiled to obtain information about the behavior of ants and their associated plants. In all, we found 14 genera of ants that were subjected to termite testing. The most important ants, in terms of occurrence in plants and termite attack, were Camponotus, Crematogaster and Ectatomma. The genus Camponotus was, in quantitative terms, both the ant most subjected to tests with termites, and the one that most effectively attacked and removed the baits, but it was an ant with little recruitment frequency. The use of artificial baits is a very viable method for analyzing this aggressiveness, as it allows comparisons between ant species. The three genera mentioned above occur in plants with extrafloral nectaries, especially in the neotropical region, and can be considered effective mutualists, due to their aggressiveness and frequency in plants.