Communication in Ant–Plant Symbioses

Abstract

*[We review the current knowledge on communication between plants and ants in ant-plant symbioses. Chemistry is the preponderant channel in ant-plant communication. Communication is identified in 5 contexts: the selection of seeds by ants to sow ant-gardens, the detection of the host plant by founding queens, the discrimination of the host plant by the inhabiting ants to prune exogenous vegetation, the selective continuous patrolling on young shoots by workers, & the damage-induced ant-mediated plant protection.]