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September 10, 2025EcologyOpen Access

Ants and extrafloral nectary‐bearing plants: A dataset of interactions and outcomes

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Authors

SNSamuel NovaisNMNoemí Matías‐FerrerBRBetsabé Ruíz‐Guerra

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Overview

A compiled dataset reveals outcomes of ant interactions with extrafloral nectary-bearing plants, indicating benefits like reduced herbivory.

Key Points

  • Ants significantly decrease herbivory in 67.4% of community-level studies and 54.2% of species-level assessments.
  • Data compilation included 342 studies and 4766 records of ants feeding on extrafloral nectaries across 40 countries.
  • Ant visitation enhances plant performance, improving fruit set in 42.9% of community-level studies and 52% of species-focused research.
  • Most ant interactions involved species from the Formicinae subfamily, highlighting their role in plant defense mechanisms.

Cite This Study

Novais et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/68c192659b7b07f3a06175efhttps://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70186
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Ant behaviour as a mediator of extrafloral nectary‐based mutualisms: Interactions with nectar chemistry and environmental conditions2026
  2. 2Ant sharing by plant species bearing extrafloral nectaries has a low impact on plant herbivory in a tropical system2024 · 1 citations
  3. 3Complex interactions in ant–plant mutualisms: The role of multiple ant food resources in mediating plant defence, pollination and fitness in a tropical shrub2025
  4. 4Beyond predator bodyguards: ant attendance at post-floral pericarpial nectaries increases fruit production, improves fruit morphology, and reduces nectar thief visitation in Declieuxia fruticosa (Rubiaceae)2026
  5. 5The role of habitat simplification and seasonality in shaping interactions between ants, plants and herbivores in a neotropical savanna2025