Associations between ants (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) and Adriana Gaudich. (Euphorbiaceae) in East Gippsland

The consequences of ant attendance on plants with extrafloral nectaries (EF N) belonging to the endemic Australian genus Adriana (Euphorbiaceae) were e xamined at two study sites in Gippsland, Victoria. Ants in seven genera wer e observed visiting nectaries across both sites and ants in four of these g enera were also previously observed on the foliage of Adriana plants in Que ensland and Western Australia. Following ant exclusions, numbers of insect herbivores (primarily flea beetles) exhibited a significant increase, altho ugh this was not reflected in an increase in foliar herbivory on experiment al branches. Numbers of coccinellid beetles also increased on branches from which ants were excluded. The lack of a treatment effect on herbivory may reflect low herbivore densities on plants.