CNRS, écologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR-CNRS 8172), Kourou cedex, France.
C R Biol. 2012 Mar;335(3):214-9. doi: 10.1016/j.crvi.2012.01.002. Epub 2012 Feb 13.
In the mutualisms involving the myrmecophyte Cecropia obtusa and Azteca ovaticeps or A. alfari, both predatory, the ants defend their host trees from enemies and provide them with nutrients (myrmecotrophy). A. ovaticeps provisioned with prey and then (15)N-enriched food produced more individuals than did control colonies (not artificially provisioned). This was not true for A. alfari colonies, possibly due to differences in the degree of maturity of the colonies for the chosen range of host tree sizes (less than 3m in height). Myrmecotrophy was demonstrated for both Azteca species as provisioning the ants with (15)N-enriched food translated into higher δ(15)N values in host plant tissues, indicating that nitrogen passed from the food to the plant. Thus, the predatory activity of their guest ants benefits the Cecropia trees not only because the ants protect them from defoliators since most prey are phytophagous insects but also because the plant absorbs nutrients.
在涉及蚁栖植物 Cecropia obtusa 和肉食性蚂蚁 Azteca ovaticeps 或 A. alfari 的共生关系中，蚂蚁会保护它们的宿主树免受敌人的侵害，并为其提供营养物质（共生营养）。与对照组（未人工喂食）相比，用猎物和富含 15N 的食物喂养的 A. ovaticeps 产生的个体数更多。对于 A. alfari 殖民地来说，情况并非如此，这可能是由于所选宿主树大小范围内殖民地成熟度的差异（高度小于 3 米）造成的。对于这两种 Azteca 物种来说，共生营养作用都得到了证明，因为用富含 15N 的食物喂养蚂蚁会导致宿主植物组织中的 δ15N 值升高，这表明氮从食物传递到了植物。因此，这些蚂蚁客人的捕食活动不仅使 Cecropia 树受益，因为蚂蚁可以保护它们免受食叶昆虫的侵害，而且因为植物吸收了营养物质。
