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First report of seed dispersal by ants in D icentra peregrina ( P apaveraceae), an alpine plant in the J apanese A lps
Author(s) -
Komatsu Takashi,
Itino Takao,
Ueda Shouhei
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
entomological science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1479-8298
pISSN - 1343-8786
DOI - 10.1111/ens.12110
Subject(s) - biology , seed dispersal , botany , biological dispersal , hymenoptera , horticulture , population , demography , sociology
Seed dispersal by ants, known as myrmecochory, is commonly observed among various plant taxa. The seeds of these plants have an elaiosome to attract ants. In J apan, myrmecochory has been well studied in several lowland plant species, but not in highland plant species that grow above the tree line. We investigated whether the seeds of D icentra peregrina , known as the “queen of the alpine plants” in J apan, are carried by F ormica gagatoides ants at 2510 m a.s.l. on M t N orikura, K ita‐ A lps, J apan. We observed F . gagatoides workers picking up D . peregrina seeds by grasping the elaiosome and carrying the seeds into their nests. We inferred from the observed ant behavior and the seed morphology that D . peregrina is a myrmecochorous species.