- Stabile Isotope (1) (remove) - How availability and quality of
nectar and honeydew shape an Australian rainforest ant community
(2003) - Ant communities visiting nectar and honeydew sources
were studied in a tropical lowland rainforest in North
Queensland, Australia. The study focused on the hypothesis
whether the distribution and composition of nectar and honeydew
diets influence resource partitioning and competition in the ant
community, and thus regulate community composition. Ants were
the most common consumers on all extrafloral nectaries, while
they constituted only a minority of floral visitors. In total,
43 ant species were observed to consume nectar from extrafloral
nectaries (34 plant species) or from flowers (14 plant species),
and wound sap exudates (three plant species). Six nectar-
foraging ant species attended trophobionts (including at least
12 species of homopterans and two species of lycaenid
caterpillars) for honeydew. Ant species showed a significant
compartmentalisation of nectar use acr