The effects of ants on herbivory and herbivore numbers on foliage of the mallee eucalypt, Eucalyptus incrassata Labill. [Western Australia]

Mackay, D.A. . School of Biological Sciences

The effects of ants on herbivory and herbivore numbers on foliage of the mallee eucalypt, Eucalyptus incrassata Labill. [Western Australia]

1991

Mackay, D.A. (Flinders Univ., Bedford Park (Australia). School of Biological Sciences)

When ants were experimentally excluded for 6 months from mature and immature foliage of saplings of E. incrassata in South Australia, no significant differences in herbivory were found between ant-access (AA) and ant-excluded (AE) treatments. Eurymelid bug densities decreased rapidly in AE treatments compared with AA. Ants also quickly removed seeds of E. incrassata from experimental caches. The potential of ants to reduce the density of insect herbivores on eucalypts seems limited.

显示更多 [+]