Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T07:26:24.719Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Co-existence of ants and an arboreal earthworm in a myrmecophyte of the Indian Western Ghats: anti-predation effect of the earthworm mucus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 April 2006

Laurence Gaume ,
Megha Shenoy ,
Merry Zacharias  and
Renee M. Borges
Laurence Gaume
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
Megha Shenoy
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
Merry Zacharias
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
Renee M. Borges
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Arboreal earthworms are scarce in tropical rain forests, being confined to tree trunks or epiphytes (Fragoso & Rojas-Fernandez 1996). Their above-ground presence might be attributed to (1) temporary responses to flooding (Adis & Righi 1989), (2) permanent responses to acidity, flooding and anoxia of very wet forest soils (Lee 1983), (3) drought (Fragoso & Rojas-Fernandez 1996), (4) accidental events, e.g. mudslides (Picado 1911), or (5) anti-predation responses, e.g. escape from army ants (Gotwald 1995).

Keywords

anti-predation mechanismant-plantdomatiaHumboldtiaIndiaPerionyxrepellent secretiontropical forest
Type
Brief Report
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , May 2006 , pp. 341 - 344
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)