RELATIVE ATTRACTIVENESS OF SEEDS OF MYRMECOCHOROUS AUSTRALIAN AND SOUTH-AFRICAN PLANTS TO ANTS, AND THE CHEMICAL BASIS OF THIS ATTRACTION

We compared the responses of an indigenous acid an exotic (South Ameri can) ant to seeds from exotic (Australian) and indigenous Caps myrmeco chorous plants. Non-South African ants were more attracted to seeds of myrmecochorous species, than to non-myrmecochorous species from other continents. However, the chemical basis of this attraction was not du e to oleic acid derivatives, as previously reported in the literature. This suggests that there is a broad spectrum of compounds that are at tractive to ants. Our results indicate convergence (seeds from myrmeco chorous plants are attractive to non-indigenous ants), but that there is no highly specific chemical convergence as a basis for this attract ion.