Ant-Plant Diversity in Peninsular Malaysia, with Special Reference to the Pasoh Forest Reserve

Abstract

*[The overview of ant-plants in Peninsular Malaysia presented here covers: 1) diversity of participating ant & plant taxa; 2) specificity of associations; 3) morphological diversity of plant structures used for ant-housing; 4) plant growth habit; & 5) food type of ants directly or indirectly derived from host plants. Included are unpublished observations both from field & herbarium studies & records of ant-plants obtained from a literature survey. It is the first comprehensive account of Malayan ant-plants on species level since many decades. At least 45 'true' myrmecophytic species belonging to 20 genera and 14 families are recognized. Twenty-two additional species (from 17 genera) are looked upon as potential myrmecophytes, but evidence is still anecdotal & incomplete. The review presented here allows a conservative estimate of 'true' ant-plants in Pasoh Forest Reserve. The reserve is home to at least one third of the known myrmecophytes occurring on the peninsula.]