We displaced the ants from the nectaries by gentle shaking and delicately rubbed earthworms on each nectary to apply mucus.
However, after contact with the mucus, the ants retreated and exhibited antennal cleaning, especially when contact with the nectary took place soon after mucus treatment.
At the end of the 10 min, only two ants drank at a nectary.
Ants, widely regarded as the most important consumers of extrafloral nectar, made up only 60% of all nectary-visiting arthropods.
Behavioural observations revealed that many flies actively excluded other arthropods, including ants, from the nectaries or leaves.
In general, arthropods from several taxonomic groups appear at extrafloral nectaries, but ants seem to be the most important defenders.
During the first 7 min, none of the ants that contacted the nectaries, often visiting each one in turn, drank from them.
All ants drinking at nectaries before the treatment, returned to the nectaries after the disturbance.
