Abstract
Summary In this study, which was carried out on 460 ant-gardens found in an orchard of Citrus grandis and in two pioneer formations of different ages, we noted that four ant species, Pachycondyla goeldii (Ponerinae), Crematogaster limata parabiotica (Myrmicinae), Dolichoderus bispinosus (Dolichoderinae) and Camponotus femoratus (Formicinae), built carton nests on which we found epiphytes at different stages of development. For other ant species sheltering in ant gardens, we did not find young, developing epiphytes. A three-way relationship between the supporting bush, epiphyte and ant becomes apparent. The diversity of the epiphytes varies as a function of the ant species: Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae) is dominant in the gardens of P. goeldii; Codonanthe crassifolia (Gesneriaceae) and Anthurium gracile (Araceae) in those of C. femoratus and of Cr. limata parabiotica, both of which also associated with Peperomia macrostachya (Piperaceae).
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