Abstract
The association of the ant Myrcidris epicharis with the plant Myrcia magna is reported for the first time. This association was registered in two localities along the Negro river basin, in the region of Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil. The ants inhabit swollen shoots in apical and subjacent nodes of the branches. This record represents the second plant species of Myrtaceae to be associated with Myrcidris epicharis.
Highlights
In the Neotropics, mutualistic relationships between plants and ants frequently provide protection against predators to the hosts and housing to the insects (Goitía & Jaffé, 2009)
Myrcidris epicharis Ward, 1990 is the only species described for this genus of ants (Ward & Downie, 2005) that establishes its colonies in domatia present at the nodes of branches of Amazonian plants of the genus Myrcia
The samples of Myrcidris epicharis and Myrcia magna were collected during field expeditions to the Rio Negro Sustainable Development Reserve (RDS Rio Negro, 03°02’56’’S, 60°06’11’’W) and to the Alto Cuieras river base of the National Institute for Amazonian Research (Cuieras, 02°34’07’’S, 60°19’15’’W) in January 2018 and July 2018 respectively (Fig 1)
Summary
In the Neotropics, mutualistic relationships between plants and ants frequently provide protection against predators to the hosts and housing to the insects (Goitía & Jaffé, 2009). Myrcidris epicharis Ward, 1990 is the only species described for this genus of ants (Ward & Downie, 2005) that establishes its colonies in domatia present at the nodes of branches of Amazonian plants of the genus Myrcia
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