Studies on Ant-plant Interaction in a Tropical Mangroves: In Particular Rhizophora Mucronata and Avicennia Marina from Pondicherry Region, South India

A short term field study was undertaken to understand ant-plant interaction in Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia marina of Pondicherry mangroves. Our study revealed that both tree species Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia marina of Pondicherry mangroves harbor rich and abundant ant fauna. A total of 10 species were recorded belonging to subfamilies Formicinae, Myrmicinae, Dolichoderinae and Pseudomyrmecinae during one season i.e. post monsoon. The abundance of ants was high in Avicennia marina with 9 species of ants and in compared with Rhizophora mucronata with only 7 species. Ants which were only found in Avicennia marina are Oecophylla smaragdina, Polyrchachis simplex, Camponotus sp . The foods for these ants are available as insects’ eggs, scale insects and carcasses of herbivorous insects. The nesting behavior of these ants is also documented. The mutualistic ant-mangrove plants interaction is quite obvious from the field observations and is recorded with relevant photographs from the study area.