PRF/M: Amino Acids of Passiflora extrafloral Nectars and Their Role in Attracting Ant Protectors

纽约州立大学弗里多尼亚校区生物系的珍妮特·兰扎博士将在德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校环境生物学的13个月中期任期内，在劳伦斯·E·吉尔伯特博士的实验室里进行实地研究，实地研究将在哥斯达黎加的科科瓦多国家公园进行。她的注意力将集中在测量9种共域西番莲(西番莲)花外蜜汁中氨基酸水平的变化(包括物种内和物种间)，并记录这种资源在多大程度上增强了蚂蚁对植物保护的防御能力，以保护植物免受食草性昆虫如蝴蝶毛虫的侵害。这项研究将增加我们对蚂蚁-植物互惠作用的理解，并可能为未来研究花蜜成分的遗传控制和环境变异对花蜜成分的影响奠定基础。最终，结果可能会通过提供一个通过生物手段保护植物的自然例子来改进农业和园艺实践。这项工作还将提供有关热带地区基本生态过程的信息。

Dr. Janet Lanza, of the Biology Department at the State University of New York's Fredonia campus, will spend the 13-month tenure of her Mid-Career Fellowship in Environmental Biology at the University of Texas at Austin, in Dr. Lawrence E. Gilbert's laboratory, with field studies to be conducted at Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park. Her attention will be focused on measuring variation (both within and among species) in amino acid levels in the extrafloral nectars of nine sympatric Passiflora (passion flower) species, and documenting the extent to which this resource enhances defense by ants in protecting the plant against insect herbivores such as Heliconius (butterfly) caterpillars. This research will increase our understanding of ant-plant mutualistic interactions and may serve as the basis for future studies of the genetic control of nectar composition and the effects of environmental variability on nectar composition. Ultimately, results could lead to improved agricultural and horticultural practices by providing a natural example of plant protection by biological means. The work will also provide information about fundamental ecological processes in the tropics.