A balanced diet: Effects of ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nutritional state on the balance between mutualism and predation upon aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Abstract
Mutualisms are commonly dependent on the ecological context in which partners interact. In ant‐aphid interactions, the dietary status of ants has been hypothesized to be one factor that may mediate ant‐aphid interactions. This hypothesis was supported in one laboratory study with one ant species. We build upon that work here by conducting field trials involving three ant species. Boxed colonies of Formica podzolica (Francoeur), Tapinoma sessile (Wheeler), and Myrmica incompleta (Provancher) were provided either a tuna in oil or honey solution diet treatment to examine the effects of ant nutritional state on the mutualism between these ants and field colonies of the aphid Aphis valerianae (Cowen) feeding on Valeriana edulis (Nutt. Ex Torr. & A. Gray). A significant difference in tending rate and overall activity between treatments was seen in F. podzolica, with tuna‐fed colonies tending but honey‐fed ants remaining relatively inactive. Exploration outside of the nest box was uncommon for T. sessile and not observed for M. incompleta. In addition to these interactions, encounters between the aphid A. valerianae and the ants F. podzolica and M. incompleta were staged by moving ants to aphid colonies. A significantly different treatment effect was seen in F. podzolica consistent with the patterns seen in the unstaged interactions, except for the predation of one aphid in the staged interactions. No significant treatment effect was seen in M. incompleta staged interactions. F. podzolica tended aphid colonies did not appear to be protected from natural enemies, and aphid colonies suffered a marginally significant population decline when tended by tuna‐fed ants. These results provide the field evidence that ant diet influences ant‐aphid interactions. 2 Key Words Mutualism, Formica podzolica, Tapinoma sessile, Myrmica incompleta, Aphis valerianae, nutritional state, ant behavior 3
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