Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants
This paper provides a synthesis of the ecological impact of phorid fly parasitoids on ants. We find the most important impact of phorids on ants to be trait-mediated effects. Phorids diminish the foraging activity of ants, frequently reducing the number and average size of foragers and reducing the...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/380474 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849685121250099200 |
|---|---|
| author | Hsun-Yi Hsieh Ivette Perfecto |
| author_facet | Hsun-Yi Hsieh Ivette Perfecto |
| author_sort | Hsun-Yi Hsieh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper provides a synthesis of the ecological impact of phorid fly parasitoids on ants. We find the most important impact of phorids on ants to be trait-mediated effects. Phorids diminish the foraging activity of ants, frequently reducing the number and average size of foragers and reducing the amount of food retrieved by a colony. However, ants' coping mechanisms include changing foraging site and time. Phorids can also affect competition, especially through changes in the ability of the host to win in exploitative competition. Factors such as microclimate, resource size, and habitat complexity interact with phorids to change their effect on competition. By being highly specific and attacking ants high in the competitive hierarchy, phorids can alter the linear nature of the competitive transitivity, and by reducing the number of foragers, they can change the discovery-dominance tradeoff that is observed in some ant communities. Trait-mediated effects of phorids also cascade to other trophic levels. As an example, we discuss the trait-mediated cascade of phorids on the Azteca instabilis system in coffee. In this system, by reducing the foraging activity of A. instabilis, phorids reduce the direct and indirect biological control impact of the ant in the coffee agroecosystem. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c2c22b4003554cf3968639fc271d01ba |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-c2c22b4003554cf3968639fc271d01ba2025-08-20T03:23:15ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/380474380474Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on AntsHsun-Yi Hsieh0Ivette Perfecto1School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USASchool of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAThis paper provides a synthesis of the ecological impact of phorid fly parasitoids on ants. We find the most important impact of phorids on ants to be trait-mediated effects. Phorids diminish the foraging activity of ants, frequently reducing the number and average size of foragers and reducing the amount of food retrieved by a colony. However, ants' coping mechanisms include changing foraging site and time. Phorids can also affect competition, especially through changes in the ability of the host to win in exploitative competition. Factors such as microclimate, resource size, and habitat complexity interact with phorids to change their effect on competition. By being highly specific and attacking ants high in the competitive hierarchy, phorids can alter the linear nature of the competitive transitivity, and by reducing the number of foragers, they can change the discovery-dominance tradeoff that is observed in some ant communities. Trait-mediated effects of phorids also cascade to other trophic levels. As an example, we discuss the trait-mediated cascade of phorids on the Azteca instabilis system in coffee. In this system, by reducing the foraging activity of A. instabilis, phorids reduce the direct and indirect biological control impact of the ant in the coffee agroecosystem.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/380474 |
| spellingShingle | Hsun-Yi Hsieh Ivette Perfecto Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants |
| title_full | Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants |
| title_fullStr | Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants |
| title_short | Trait-Mediated Indirect Effects of Phorid Flies on Ants |
| title_sort | trait mediated indirect effects of phorid flies on ants |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/380474 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hsunyihsieh traitmediatedindirecteffectsofphoridfliesonants AT ivetteperfecto traitmediatedindirecteffectsofphoridfliesonants |