Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Jones, Emily Elizabeth
Language:	English
Published:	University of Dayton / OhioLINK 2019
Subjects:	Ecology Chinese tallow tree Triadica sebifera tawny crazy ant Nylanderia fulva Caloptilia triadicae extrafloral nectar induced defense biological invasion facultative mutualism
Online Access:	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1565107639230889

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spelling	ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-dayton15651076392308892021-08-03T07:12:14Z Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange Jones, Emily Elizabeth Ecology Chinese tallow tree Triadica sebifera tawny crazy ant Nylanderia fulva Caloptilia triadicae extrafloral nectar induced defense biological invasion facultative mutualism For centuries, the invasive, extrafloral nectary-bearing tree, <i>Triadica sebifera</i> (Euphorbiaceae), was virtually free from natural enemies. In 2004, the <i>Triadica</i>-specific leaf-rolling moth <i>Caloptilia triadicae</i> (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) appeared in the invaded range. Simultaneously, populations of the destructive tawny crazy ant, <i>Nylanderia fulva</i> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), spread cospatially across the southeast. Prior to this study, it was unknown if <i>Triadica</i> induced extrafloral nectar production as an indirect defense against <i>Caloptilia</i>, or if it formed a mutualistic association with – or was exploited by – <i>Nylanderia</i>. To examine these potential associations, and their implications for southern ecosystems, I conducted a series of lab, greenhouse, and field experiments in coastal Texas.In response to herbivory by <i>Caloptilia</i>, <i>Triadica</i> seedlings strongly induced extrafloral nectar production; percent leaf damage explained 57% of the variation in cumulative nectar volume (p < 0.0001). Additionally, nectar production was strongly tied to the life stage of <i>Caloptilia</i>, increasing rapidly with the onset of leaf-rolling and decreasing sharply after adult emergence. Large <i>Caloptilia</i> infestations reduced stem elongation in potted <i>Triadica</i> (R ² = 0.32, p < 0.0001), but had no effect on leaf production, biomass, or survivorship. In all trials, <i>Nylanderia</i> exploited available nectar resources without attacking <i>Caloptilia</i> larvae. Seedling nectar volume was significantly lower when ants were present (p = 0.008) while no differences in <i>Caloptilia</i> survivorship were observed (p = 0.56). Likewise, no differences in <i>Caloptilia</i> abundance or parasitism rates were observed when ants were excluded from <i>Triadica</i> saplings in the field (p-values > 0.8). These results suggest that <i>Triadica</i> supplies <i>Nylanderia</i> workers with a carbohydrate resource while sustaining heavy herbivore damage and that neither <i>Triadica</i> nor <i>Caloptilia</i> benefit indirectly from <i>Nylanderia</i> foraging. Therefore, <i>Nylanderia</i> appears to be the only beneficiary in this alien, tritrophic mélange. 2019-09-26 English text University of Dayton / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1565107639230889 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1565107639230889 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection	NDLTD
language	English
sources	NDLTD
topic	Ecology Chinese tallow tree Triadica sebifera tawny crazy ant Nylanderia fulva Caloptilia triadicae extrafloral nectar induced defense biological invasion facultative mutualism
spellingShingle	Ecology Chinese tallow tree Triadica sebifera tawny crazy ant Nylanderia fulva Caloptilia triadicae extrafloral nectar induced defense biological invasion facultative mutualism Jones, Emily Elizabeth Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
author	Jones, Emily Elizabeth
author_facet	Jones, Emily Elizabeth
author_sort	Jones, Emily Elizabeth
title	Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
title_short	Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
title_full	Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
title_fullStr	Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
title_full_unstemmed	Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
title_sort	alien tree's sugary s.o.s. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange
publisher	University of Dayton / OhioLINK
publishDate	2019
url	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1565107639230889
work_keys_str_mv	AT jonesemilyelizabeth alientreessugarysosexploitedbythievingtrampantunidirectionalbenefitinanalientritrophicmelange
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Alien tree's sugary S.O.S. exploited by thieving tramp ant: unidirectional benefit in an alien, tritrophic mélange

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