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Published on: October 4, 2024
Macroevolutionary patterns in the origin of mutualisms involving ants
T H Oliver1, S R Leather, J M Cook
1Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Biological Records Centre, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK. toliver@ceh.ac.uk
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|September 4, 2008
Summary
Ants form mutualisms with fungi, insects, and plants. Phylogenetic analysis reveals forest-dwelling ants with large colonies favor honeydew-producing Homoptera, while specialization in multiple ant mutualisms depends on partner requirements and rewards.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Entomology
Background:
- Ants (Formicidae) exhibit diverse mutualistic associations with various organisms, including fungi, insects (Homoptera), and plants.
- Understanding the ecological drivers and macroevolutionary trends of these mutualisms is crucial for comprehending insect-plant and insect-insect interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify ecological factors influencing macroevolutionary trends in ant mutualisms, specifically focusing on ants and honeydew-producing Homoptera.
- To investigate associations between ant-Homoptera, ant-fungi, and ant-plant mutualisms across different taxonomic levels.
Main Methods:
- A phylogenetic approach was employed to analyze macroevolutionary patterns.
- Ecological traits of ants were correlated with their mutualistic associations.
Main Results:
- Ants tending Homoptera are frequently forest-dwelling, polygynous, ecologically dominant, and exhibit arboreal nesting with large colonies (10^4-10^5 individuals).
- At the genus level, a negative association exists between ant-Homoptera and ant-fungi mutualisms.
- Conversely, a positive association was observed between ant-Homoptera and ant-plant mutualisms.
Conclusions:
- Specialization in multiple simultaneous mutualisms by ant species is contingent upon non-conflicting partner requirements and non-redundant rewards.
- Ecological factors significantly shape the evolution and prevalence of diverse ant mutualisms.
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