University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School 5-11-2013 Spatio-Temporal Variation in an Ant-Plant Interaction Kellie M. Kuhn University of Connecticut,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Kuhn, Kellie M., "Spatio-Temporal Variation in an Ant-Plant Interaction" (2013). Doctoral Dissertations. 126. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/126 Spatio-Temporal Variation in an Ant-Plant Interaction Kellie M. Kuhn, Ph.D. University of Connecticut, 2013 The role of mutualisms in structuring communities is poorly understood, in large part because potential mutualistic interactions are often identified, but rarely quantified. I tested the hypothesis, proposed in 1979, that the interaction between the ant Myrmelachista flavocotea (Formicidae: Formicinae) and its obligate host plants Ocotea atirrensis and O. dendrodaphne (Lauraceae) is a mutualistic interaction. Despite the high abundance of Myrmelachista ants in tropical forests, relatively little is known about them, because of their timid nature and their habit of living inside plants. I used a combination of observations and experiments to analyze the interaction between M. flavocotea and Ocotea and to explore the potential higher-order community effects of the interaction. Myrmelachista flavocotea and Ocotea plants form an association early in the life history of both participants. Ocotea seedlings were colonized by multiple M. flavocotea queens. Mature colonies had only a single queen, apparently as a result of secondary monogyny. Presence of multiple foundresses may be critical in ensuring the successful founding by at least one queen, thus allowing the perpetuation of the Myrmelachista- Ocotea interaction.