Ant mimicry by Passiflora flowers?
نویسنده
چکیده
Mutualism between plants and the ants that defend them from herbivory is a well-known phenomenon. Because of ant aggression, ant mimicry as a defense against predation is very common in the animal kingdom, and has already been suggested as a type of visual anti-herbivory defensive coloration in leaves and stems of several plant species. Many Passiflora species have dark dots and short stripes on their flowers that visually (to the human eye) mimic ants or aphids. We present a new, third type of suggested arthropod mimicry that adds to the previous suggestions of defensive Passiflora butterfly-egg mimicry and caterpillar mimicry. It is contended that this type of Batesian ant mimicry may protect Passiflora flowers from herbivory.
منابع مشابه
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