Poster

         Ecology

Chemical analysis of extrafloral nectar in western Australian Solanum tudununggae (Solanaceae) to explore possible ant-plant relationships

Presenting Author
Kaitlin Henry
Description
Solanum tudununggae Symon (Solanaceae) is a dioecious species of bush tomato native to northwestern Australia. This narrowly-endemic species has few known localities, all of them in the remote Kimberley Region of Western Australia. One uncommon trait that sets it apart from most other species of Solanum is its secretion of extrafloral nectar. In fact, structurally complex extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) are currently known to occur on the back of the corollas in only three species of Australian dioecious Solanum. Consequently, little is known about the characteristics of its nectar - although botanists have noted abundant ant (and bee) activity around these nectaries. However, the relative lack of research on Solanum EFNs leaves a gap in knowledge regarding the nature of the relationship between these plants and ants. Previous literature has shown that the composition of extrafloral nectar, specifically the presence of essential nutritional amino acids, can cause ant populations to prefer certain nectars to others in other species of plants. With plants grown in Bucknell’s greenhouse, this research aims to use high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to analyze the composition of extrafloral nectar, specifically the presence of amino acids and sugars. Through HPLC, we hope to infer a possible correspondence between ant behavior and nectar content. We hypothesize that the presence of essential amino acids could suggest a mutualistic relationship between S. tudununggae and local ants, with the plant providing essential nutrients to the ant population, and in return the ants offering protection against herbivores that pose a threat to the plants.