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4 results on '"Zoologie des invertébrés"'

1. Predation success by a plant-ant indirectly favours the growth and fitness of its host myrmecophyte

Author

Pierre-Jean G. Malé, Vivien Rossi, Jérôme Orivel, Jérémie Lauth, Alain Dejean, Céline Leroy, Olivier Roux, Régis Céréghino, Dejean, Alain, Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT), Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Yazd University, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations (UMR AMAP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), French Labex CEBA 2012 (The laboratory of Excellence Centre for Studies of Amazonian Biodiversity), Tripartite associations and Plant Nutrition (Tri-Nutri), Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (ECOLAB), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud]), AgroParisTech (FRANCE), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique - CIRAD (FRANCE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS (FRANCE), Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Formation de l'Enseignement Agricole - ENSFEA (FRANCE), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse - INPT (FRANCE), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - INRA (FRANCE), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - IRD (FRANCE), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier - UT3 (FRANCE), Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (FRANCE), Evolution et Diversité Biologique - EDB (Toulouse, France), and Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse - Toulouse INP (FRANCE)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Plant-ant, Biodiversité et Ecologie, Relation plante animal, lcsh:Medicine, Plant Science, 01 natural sciences, lcsh:Science, Allomerus decemarticulatus, Mutualism (biology), [SDV.EE]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment, Multidisciplinary, biology, Ecology, food and beverages, Plants, Nutrition des plantes, Trophic Interactions, 010601 ecology, Community Ecology, L20 - Écologie animale, Research Article, Plante hôte, F40 - Écologie végétale, Ecological Metrics, Biochimie, Symbiose, Myrmecophyte, Mutualisms, 010603 evolutionary biology, Chrysobalanaceae, Ascomycota, Systems Ecology, Botany, Nectar, Animals, Hirtella physophora, Croissance, Symbiosis, Formicidae, Biology, Ecologie, Environnement, Herbivore, Evolutionary Biology, Productivity (Ecology), Ants, Plant Ecology, fungi, lcsh:R, Ant colony, biology.organism_classification, Zoologie des invertébrés, Myrmecotrophy, Lutte biologique, [SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology, Predatory Behavior, lcsh:Q, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Zoology, Entomology
Abstract

International audience; Mutualisms, or interactions between species that lead to net fitness benefits for each species involved, are stable and ubiquitous in nature mostly due to "byproduct benefits" stemming from the intrinsic traits of one partner that generate an indirect and positive outcome for the other. Here we verify if myrmecotrophy (where plants obtain nutrients from the refuse of their associated ants) can explain the stability of the tripartite association between the myrmecophyte Hirtella physophora, the ant Allomerus decemarticulatus and an Ascomycota fungus. The plant shelters and provides the ants with extrafloral nectar. The ants protect the plant from herbivores and integrate the fungus into the construction of a trap that they use to capture prey; they also provide the fungus and their host plant with nutrients. During a 9-month field study, we over-provisioned experimental ant colonies with insects, enhancing colony fitness (i.e., more winged females were produced). The rate of partial castration of the host plant, previously demonstrated, was not influenced by the experiment. Experimental plants showed higher δ¹⁵N values (confirming myrmecotrophy), plus enhanced vegetative growth (e.g., more leaves produced increased the possibility of lodging ants in leaf pouches) and fitness (i.e., more fruits produced and more flowers that matured into fruit). This study highlights the importance of myrmecotrophy on host plant fitness and the stability of ant-myrmecophyte mutualisms.

Published
2013
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2. Contribution of lateral gene transfers to the genome composition and parasitic ability of root-knot nematodes

Author

Amandine Campan-Fournier, Pierre Abad, Eric Wajnberg, Philippe Gouret, Etienne Danchin, Martine Da Rocha, Pierre Pontarotti, Julien Paganini, Laboratoire d'Analyse, Topologie, Probabilités (LATP), Aix Marseille Université (AMU)-École Centrale de Marseille (ECM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut Sophia Agrobiotech (ISA), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive - UMR 5558 (LBBE), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL), Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (Inria)-VetAgro Sup - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur et de recherche en alimentation, santé animale, sciences agronomiques et de l'environnement (VAS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Programme CNRS 'Maladies Infectieuses Emergentes', ANR-08-GENM-0012,NEMATARGETS,Identification de nouveaux gènes-cibles pour le développement de stratégies spécifiques dirigées contre les nématodes parasites de plantes(2008), Institut Sophia Agrobiotech [Sophia Antipolis] (ISA), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (... - 2019) (UNS), Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS), COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-COMUE Université Côte d'Azur (2015-2019) (COMUE UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Danchin, Etienne

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, bactérie rhizosphérique, MESH: Gene Transfer, Horizontal: genetics, Proteomes, Genes, Protozoan, Protozoan Proteins, Plant Science, 01 natural sciences, MESH: Codon: genetics, Gene Duplication, MESH: Animals, MESH: DNA Transposable Elements: genetics, MESH: Phylogeny, Genome Evolution, Phylogeny, MESH: Genetic Association Studies, Parasitologie, 0303 health sciences, Base Composition, Phylogenetic analysis, MESH: Gene Duplication, transmission, MESH: Bacteria: genetics, Horizontal gene transfer, Genomics, plasmide, Gene ontologies, Medicine, inférence, MESH: Tylenchoidea: genetics, Science, Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, 03 medical and health sciences, Invertebrate genomics, Open Reading Frames, Phylogenetics, Invertebrate Zoology, MESH: Plant Diseases: parasitology, [SDV.BBM.GTP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biochemistry, Molecular Biology/Genomics [q-bio.GN], Parasites, Evolutionary Systematics, MESH: Plasmids: genetics, Tylenchoidea, Codon, Biology, Plant Diseases, Bacteria, métazoaire, séquence génomique, Computational Biology, cluster de gènes, Plant Pathology, Phytopathologie et phytopharmacie, carbohydrate, MESH: Genes, Protozoan: genetics, MESH: Base Composition: genetics, Minimal genome, Parasitology, Mobile genetic elements, plante parasite, phylogénétique, Protein domains, Genome, Plant Roots, nématode des racines, Gene duplication, Soil Microbiology, espèces à espèces, MESH: Open Reading Frames: genetics, Genetics, Multidisciplinary, MESH: Plant Roots: parasitology, héritage, Plasmids, Research Article, MESH: Genome: genetics, Gene Transfer, Horizontal, Phytopathology and phytopharmacy, Plant Pathogens, processus biologique, transfert latéral de gène, MESH: Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid, procaryote, MESH: Protozoan Proteins: genetics, Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid, Animals, [SDV.MP.PAR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Parasitology, Parasite Evolution, MESH: Parasites: genetics, Gene, Genetic Association Studies, 030304 developmental biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genomic Evolution, Zoologie des invertébrés, MESH: Soil Microbiology, DNA Transposable Elements, 010606 plant biology & botany
Abstract

International audience; Lateral gene transfers (LGT), species to species transmission of genes by means other than direct inheritance from a common ancestor, have played significant role in shaping prokaryotic genomes and are involved in gain or transfer of important biological processes. Whether LGT significantly contributed to the composition of an animal genome is currently unclear. In nematodes, multiple LGT are suspected to have favored emergence of plant-parasitism. With the availability of whole genome sequences it is now possible to assess whether LGT have significantly contributed to the composition of an animal genome and to establish a comprehensive list of these events. We generated clusters of homologous genes and automated phylogenetic inference, to detect LGT in the genomes of root-knot nematodes and found that up to 3.34% of the genes originate from LGT of non-metazoan origin. After their acquisition, the majority of genes underwent series of duplications. Compared to the rest of the genes in these species, several predicted functional categories showed a skewed distribution in the set of genes acquired via LGT. Interestingly, functions related to metabolism, degradation or modification of carbohydrates or proteins were substantially more frequent. This suggests that genes involved in these processes, related to a parasitic lifestyle, have been more frequently fixed in these parasites after their acquisition. Genes from soil bacteria, including plant-pathogens were the most frequent closest relatives, suggesting donors were preferentially bacteria from the rhizosphere. Several of these bacterial genes are plasmid-borne, pointing to a possible role of these mobile genetic elements in the transfer mechanism. Our analysis provides the first comprehensive description of the ensemble of genes of non-metazoan origin in an animal genome. Besides being involved in important processes regarding plant-parasitism, genes acquired via LGT now constitute a substantial proportion of protein-coding genes in these nematode genomes.

Published
2012
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3. Inherited biotic protection in a neotropical pioneer plant

Author

Bruno Corbara, Vivien Rossi, Régis Céréghino, Alain Dejean, Céline Leroy, Jacques H. C. Delabie, Ecologie des forêts de Guyane (ECOFOG), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (UAG)-AgroParisTech-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (ECOLAB), Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Microorganismes : Génome et Environnement (LMGE), Université Blaise Pascal - Clermont-Ferrand 2 (UBP)-Université d'Auvergne - Clermont-Ferrand I (UdA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau, 45600-000, Itabuna, and Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, 45662-900 Ilhéus-Bahia, Brazil., Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Financial support for this study was provided by the Programme Amazonie II of the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (project 2ID) and the Programme Convergence 2007-2013, Region Guyane from the European Community (project DEGA). JHCD acknowledges the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Technologico(CNPq) for his research grant., Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), AgroParisTech (FRANCE), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique - CIRAD (FRANCE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS (FRANCE), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse - INPT (FRANCE), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - INRA (FRANCE), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier - UT3 (FRANCE), Université Blaise Pascal - UBP (FRANCE), Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau - CEPLAC (BRAZIL), Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (FRANCE), Microorganismes : Génome et Environnement - LMGE (Aubière, France), Laboratoire Ecologie fonctionnelle et Environnement - EcoLab (Toulouse, France), and Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse - Toulouse INP (FRANCE)

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Pollination, Biodiversité et Ecologie, [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], lcsh:Medicine, MESH: Pollination, MESH: Reproduction, 01 natural sciences, Plant-ants, MESH: Seed Dispersal, Seed Dispersal, MESH: Animals, MESH: Gentianaceae, lcsh:Science, Multidisciplinary, Ecology, biology, Reproduction, Pseudomyrmex, food and beverages, Gentianaceae, Ecosystèmes, Inflorescence, L20 - Écologie animale, Research Article, Evolutionary Processes, F40 - Écologie végétale, Seed dispersal, Foraging, MESH: Ants, Flowers, 010603 evolutionary biology, Animals, Nectar, Formicidae, Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Herbivore, Ants, Plant Ecology, fungi, lcsh:R, 15. Life on land, Ant colony, Chelonanthus alatus, MESH: Flowers, biology.organism_classification, Zoologie des invertébrés, Evolutionary Ecology, lcsh:Q, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Coevolution, 010606 plant biology & botany
Abstract

International audience; Chelonanthus alatus is a bat-pollinated, pioneer Gentianaceae that clusters in patches where still-standing, dried-out stems are interspersed among live individuals. Flowers bear circum-floral nectaries (CFNs) that are attractive to ants, and seed dispersal is both barochorous and anemochorous. Although, in this study, live individuals never sheltered ant colonies, dried-out hollow stems--that can remain standing for 2 years--did. Workers from species nesting in dried-out stems as well as from ground-nesting species exploited the CFNs of live C. alatus individuals in the same patches during the daytime, but were absent at night (when bat pollination occurs) on 60.5% of the plants. By visiting the CFNs, the ants indirectly protect the flowers--but not the plant foliage--from herbivorous insects. We show that this protection is provided mostly by species nesting in dried-out stems, predominantly Pseudomyrmex gracilis. That dried-out stems remain standing for years and are regularly replaced results in an opportunistic, but stable association where colonies are sheltered by one generation of dead C. alatus while the live individuals nearby, belonging to the next generation, provide them with nectar; in turn, the ants protect their flowers from herbivores. We suggest that the investment in wood by C. alatus individuals permitting still-standing, dried-out stems to shelter ant colonies constitutes an extended phenotype because foraging workers protect the flowers of live individuals in the same patch. Also, through this process these dried-out stems indirectly favor the reproduction (and so the fitness) of the next generation including both their own offspring and that of their siblings, all adding up to a potential case of inclusive fitness in plants.

Published
2011
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4. An assassin among predators: the relationship between plant-ants, their host Myrmecophytes and the Reduviidae Zelus annulosus

Author

Régis Céréghino, Messika Revel, Olivier Roux, Alain Dejean, Department of basic sciences and environment, Universidade do Porto, Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (ECOLAB), Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Programme Amazonie II of the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (project 2ID), Programme Convergence 2007-2013, Région Guyane from the European Community (project DEGA), Universidade do Porto = University of Porto, Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (LEFE), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales [Toulouse] (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Météo-France -Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université de Toulouse (UT), AgroParisTech (FRANCE), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique - CIRAD (FRANCE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - CNRS (FRANCE), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse - INPT (FRANCE), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - INRA (FRANCE), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier - UT3 (FRANCE), Université des Antilles et de la Guyane (FRANCE), Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse - Toulouse INP (FRANCE), and Roux, Olivier

Subjects
0106 biological sciences, Ecology/Community Ecology and Biodiversity, Biodiversité et Ecologie, Harpactorinae, lcsh:Medicine, 010603 evolutionary biology, 01 natural sciences, Predation, Plant-ants, Myrmecophyte, [SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems, Biologie animale, [SDV.BV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology, Animals, Ecology/Behavioral Ecology, Hirtella physophora, Reduviidae, Myrmecophytes, Nymph, Symbiosis, lcsh:Science, Plant Physiological Phenomena, Allomerus decemarticulatus, Animal biology, Mutualism (biology), Multidisciplinary, biology, Ecology, Ants, lcsh:R, Assassin bug, biology.organism_classification, Zoologie des invertébrés, [SDV.BA.ZI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Invertebrate Zoology, 010602 entomology, Ecosystèmes, Predatory Behavior, lcsh:Q, [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology, Biologie végétale, Research Article, Plant Biology/Plant-Biotic Interactions
Abstract

International audience; Tropical plants frequently live in association with ants that protect their foliage from defoliators. Among them, myrmecophytes have evolved mutualisms with a limited number of plant-ants that they shelter and feed, and, in return, benefit from some protection. Hirtella physophora (Chrysobalanaceae), for example, houses Allomerus decemarticulatus (Myrmicinae) that build gallery-shaped traps to catch large prey. In French Guiana, we frequently observed the assassin bug Zelus annulosus (Reduviidae, Harpactorinae) on the leaves of H. physophora. Here, we studied the distribution of Zelus annulosus among understory plants in the Guianese rainforest and found it only on pubescent plants, including H. Physophora, whether or not it was sheltering an A. decemarticulatus colony, but only rarely on other myrmecophytes. The relationship between Z. annulosus and its host plants is, then, also mutualistic, as the plant trichomes act as an enemy-free space protecting the nymphs from large predatory ants, while the nymphs protect their host-plants from herbivorous insects. Through their relationship with A. decemarticulatus colonies, Z. annulosus individuals are protected from army ants, while furnishing nothing in return. In those cases where H. physophora sheltered both an A. decemarticulatus colony and Z. annulosus nymphs, certain plant individuals repeatedly sheltered nymphs, indicating that female bugs may select not only pubescent plants but also particular H. physophora treelets having characteristics more favourable to the development of their progeny.

Published
2010
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