Mutualism Ants and their Insect Partners

About this book

With a focus on mutualisms between ants and aphids, coccids, membracids and lycaenids, this volume provides a detailed account of the many different facets of mutualisms. Mutualistic interactions not only affect the two partners, but can also have consequences for higher levels of organization.

By linking theory to case studies, the authors present an integrated account of processes and patterns of mutualistic interactions at different levels of organisation, from individuals to communities to ecosystems. Interactions between ants and their insect partners and their outcomes are explained from a resource-based, cost-benefit perspective. Covering a fascinating and growing subject in modern ecology, this book will be of interest to community and evolutionary ecologists and entomologists.

Contents

Preface

1. The scope of the problem
2. Historical perspective
3. Theories on mutualism
4. Mutualisms between ants and their partners
5. A special case: aphids and ants
6. Multitropic level interactions
7. Prospects and conclusions

References
Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Bernhard Stadler is a Research Associate in the Department of Animal Ecology at the University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Tony Dixon is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, UK, and the author of two previous books with Cambridge University Press: Insect Predator-Prey Dynamics (2000), and Insect Herbivore-Host Dynamics (2005).