Complex Ecological Interactions in the Coffee Agroecosystem

Perfecto, Ivette; Vandermeer, John; Philpott, Stacy M.

doi:10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091923

Cited by 107 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 128 publications

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“…Increasingly, it is becoming apparent that investigating the ecological complexity within a system provides instructive examples of how organisms can change their behaviour or morphology in response to challenges from other organisms, and subsequently, how these changes can have cascading effects throughout a network of interacting species [8,9]. Current literature on the role of beetles within ant societies tells us that these beetles are exceedingly common and behaviourally diverse, but few ant-beetle associations have been examined in depth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pseudacteon lasciniosus is the largest of the three species and the most abundant at our field sites and Pseudacteon planidorsalis is a smaller species and the second most abundant [24]. The presence of phorid fly parasitoids not only reduces the ants' ability to forage by as much as 50% [16,25], but also indirectly affects interactions between the ants and a wide range of competitors and mutualistic partners [8]. The newly described species of rove beetle, Myrmedonota xipe (Staphylinidae), has been observed in association with A. sericeasur ants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…behaviour, morphology). These interactions often have cascading effects on other species within the community [6][7][8]. Cascading (or indirect) effects can be mediated by both changes in host/prey density (density-mediated indirect effects) and changes in the traits of host/prey species (trait-mediated indirect effects) (reviewed in [9]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Azteca sericeasur (referred to as Azteca instabilis in prior publications, but recently identified as A. sericeasur; J. Longino 2014, personal communication) is a highly aggressive and territorial arboreal ant species that lives in large polydomous carton nests [8]. This species frequently nests in the shade trees of coffee plantations and forages in the coffee below, preying on and removing herbivores [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Dead ant walking: a myrmecophilous beetle predator uses parasitoid host location cues to selectively prey on parasitized ants

Mathis¹,

Tsutsui²

2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Myrmecophiles (i.e. organisms that associate with ants) use a variety of ecological niches and employ different strategies to survive encounters with ants. Because ants are typically excellent defenders, myrmecophiles may choose moments of weakness to take advantage of their ant associates. This hypothesis was studied in the rove beetle, Myrmedonota xipe, which associates with Azteca sericeasur ants in the presence of parasitoid flies. A combination of laboratory and field experiments show that M. xipe beetles selectively locate and prey upon parasitized ants. These parasitized ants are less aggressive towards beetles than healthy ants, allowing beetles to eat the parasitized ants alive without interruption. Moreover, behavioural assays and chemical analysis reveal that M. xipe are attracted to the ant's alarm pheromone, the same secretion used by the phorid fly parasitoids in host location. This strategy allows beetles access to an abundant but otherwise inaccessible resource, as A. sericeasur ants are typically highly aggressive. These results are the first, to our knowledge, to demonstrate a predator sharing cues with a parasitoid to gain access to an otherwise unavailable prey item. Furthermore, this work highlights the importance of studying ant -myrmecophile interactions beyond just their pairwise context.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Dead ant walking: a myrmecophilous beetle predator uses parasitoid host location cues to selectively prey on parasitized ants

Mathis¹,

Tsutsui²

2016

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…60 species of arboreal ants that occur on the farm (Philpott 2005). Azteca sericeasur builds carton nests on the trunks of shade trees within the coffee plantation, where their colonies tend to be distributed in patches (Perfecto et al 2014). Azteca JTL020 also builds large carton nests on the trunks of shade trees within the coffee plantations, but these nests are much less common (Mathis, unpublished data).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cuticular Hydrocarbon Cues Are Used for Host Acceptance by Pseudacteon spp. Phorid Flies that Attack Azteca sericeasur Ants

Mathis

Tsutsui

2016

J Chem Ecol

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Parasitoids often use complex cues to identify suitable hosts in their environment. Phorid fly parasitoids that develop on one or a few host species often use multiple cues, ranging from general to highly specific, to home in on an appropriate host. Here, we describe the hierarchy of cues that Pseudacteon phorid flies use to identify Azteca ant hosts. We show, through behavioral observations in the field, that phorid flies are attracted to two cryptic Azteca species, but only attack Azteca sericeasur (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae). To test whether the phorid flies use cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to distinguish between the two Azteca taxa, we first documented and compared cuticular hydrocarbons of the two Azteca taxa using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Then, using cuticular hydrocarbon-transfer experiments with live ants, we characterized the cuticular hydrocarbons of A. sericeasur as a short-range, host location cue used by P. lasciniosus (Diptera: Phoridae) to locate the ants.

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From the ground up: Patterns and perceptions of herbaceous diversity in organic coffee agroecosystems

Archibald

Allinne

Cerdán

et al. 2022

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Smallholder farms that transition to organic and biodiverse production are increasingly recognized as strongholds of agrobiodiversity, with emerging work identifying important outcomes such as enhancing crop portfolios, mitigating extreme climate events and contributing to farmer well‐being. Yet the emergent herbaceous communities in these organic systems remain understudied, with the functional diversity and management of this stratum relatively unknown. This study identifies the taxonomic and functional diversity of the herbaceous community in organic coffee agroforestry systems, and describes the extent of this diversity with farm, and farmer, attributes. We measured leaf‐level functional traits (e.g. specific leaf area) of the herbaceous community to derive functional diversity indices and collected localized environmental conditions on 15 organic coffee farms in Central Valley, Costa Rica. We also conducted semi‐structured interviews with nine farmers to construct mental models on herbaceous community management using a cognitive mapping approach. In total, 38 species from 20 taxonomic families were present in these organic coffee systems. The herbaceous communities were functionally diverse; however, functional evenness increased with canopy openness, suggesting that farms adopting agroforestry tend to have a more functionally diverse herbaceous stratum. Farmer perception of plant traits in the herbaceous community was differentiated into competitive (weeds) or neutral/positive effects. These perceptions aligned with well‐established functional trait trade‐offs. The mental models representing farmer decision‐making processes were highly variable, with a nearly 30% increase in cognitive map density from the simplest map to the most complex; this complexity in mental models was a key explanatory variable in the level of functional diversity of the herbaceous community. Organic management practices that support agroforestry practices also, in turn, promote a functionally diverse herbaceous stratum. We show that functional trait syndromes in these herbaceous communities in agroforestry systems are linked with farmer perceptions of traits, and that highly interconnected farm decision‐making is related to greater functional diversity in the herbaceous community. Understanding pathways of farmer decision‐making on managing this herbaceous community can appropriately situate on‐farm practice and policy for the transition to organic production, and inform emerging agri‐environmental programs.

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Complex Ecological Interactions in the Coffee Agroecosystem

Cited by 107 publications

References 128 publications

Dead ant walking: a myrmecophilous beetle predator uses parasitoid host location cues to selectively prey on parasitized ants

Dead ant walking: a myrmecophilous beetle predator uses parasitoid host location cues to selectively prey on parasitized ants

Cuticular Hydrocarbon Cues Are Used for Host Acceptance by Pseudacteon spp. Phorid Flies that Attack Azteca sericeasur Ants

From the ground up: Patterns and perceptions of herbaceous diversity in organic coffee agroecosystems

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