The Impact of Nectar-Robbing Ants on the Pollination System of Asclepias curassavica

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Ants frequently visit the flowers of A. curassavica, reducing the amount of nectar available to the butterflies that legitimately pollinate this species. Butterflies consequently visit more flowers but spend less time on each flower. Inflorescences from which ants were excluded experimentally showed higher levels of pollinia insertion. Nectar-robbing by ants may be a maladaptive force resulting in reduced pollinator effectiveness for A. curassavica.