Plant species-specificity of ant-plant mutualistic interactions: Differential predation of termites by Camponotus crassus on five species of extrafloral nectaried plants

There is increasing evidence that the outcomes of mutualistic interactions between ants and plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) is context-dependent. In particular, the total number, density and size of EFNs, as well as the abundance and identity of ants attending host plants, are considered as key factors determining the nature and strength of ant-EFN-bearing plant interaction. Although many previous studies have investigated context-dependency in ant–plant protection mutualisms mediated by EFNs, few have tested whether the protective behavior of ants varies among sympatric plant species. In this study, we performed a field experiment to investigate the predatory behavior of a dominant ant species (Camponotus crassus, Formicinae) among five EFN-bearing plant species growing in the Brazilian savanna. In particular, we studied the variation in the ant abundance, termite predation and time spent to find termites of C. crassus among the plant species, and further analyzed whether t...