The effect of ants on membracid nymph size and instar
Abstract
This project aimed to determine the mechanism of which treehopper nymphs grow in the presence of ants. Nymphs (Publilia modesta) are larger when their mutualist partner (Formica obscuripes) is present. There are two ways in which the nymphs can grow: (1) nymphs grow at the same rate, but are larger for a given stage of development, (2) nymphs grow faster (go through instars more quickly). This study investigates which of the two ways the nymphs are growing by manipulating the presence or absence of ants to the nymphs during development. Four samples of the nymphs were taken in four weeks. Stage of nymph development and size of nymph were determined and analyzed over time with respect to treatment group (ants or no ants). We found that the presence of ants causes the membracid nymphs to grow faster and that size was not affected. This implies that there is no extra cost to nymphs to grow more quickly, because they are able to preserve their size and still grow at a faster rate.
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References (11)
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