Abstract

QUINTEROS GUZMAN, Jhoseline Vanesa; ENRIQUEZ LOAYZA, Diana; PATRICIA CERVANTES, Monica  and  BENITEZ-VIEYRA, Santiago. Potential Chemical defenses of Native Plants from Potrerillo del Güendá using ant Behavior As Bioindicators. Rev. Cien. Tec. In. [online]. 2024, vol.22, n.29, pp.31-40. ISSN 2225-8787.  https://doi.org/10.56469/rcti.v22i29.944.

Plants play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems and face constant biotic challenges, such as herbivory; in response, plants have developed chemical compounds for defense. The main objective of this study was to analyze the chemical defenses of six species of native plants from the transitional dry Chiquitano Amazónico forest, assessing their ability to repel diurnal ants. Initially, the percentage of herbivory on the leaves of the plants was calculated. To evaluate repellency, extracts were made from tissue of each plant species, and the abundance and volume consumed by ants were measured in field bioassays. The results reveal that extracts of Rheedia brasiliensis (Clusiaceae) exhibit significant repellency, while those of Sapindus saponaria (Sapindaceae) act as attractants for ants. These findings confirm the ability of certain plants to repel insects, including ants, through secondary metabolites contained in their tissues. Differences in abundance and volume consumed indicate complexities in plant-ant interactions. The research highlights the ecological importance of these interactions.

Keywords : Toxicity; Herbivory; Repellent activity; Bioassay.

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