Ant defense versus induced defense in Lafoensia pacari (Lythraceae), a myrmecophilous tree of the brazilian cerrado

We compared the effects of ant presence at extrafloral nectaries of Lafoensia pacari St. Hil. on herbivore damage and silicon accumulation. Plants that were accessible to ants experienced lower herbivory levels over the first 3 mo of the experiment. After 3 mo, most leaves were fully expanded with inactive extrafloral nectaries; by 6 mo there was no effect of ant access on herbivore damage. Along with experiencing higher herbivory, plants in the ant-exclusion treatment had significantly higher silicon levels in their leaves, suggesting that silicon serves as an induced defense in this ant-plant-herbivore interaction.