Ground-nesting ant species are known to promote plant growth by soil nutrient enhancement. Camponotus compressus ants regularly visit the extrafloral nectary-bearing, lycaenid-infested cowpea, Vigna unguiculata plants and construct a shelter for the lycaenid caterpillars at the plant base. The present study shows that ants may influence the overall fitness of the infested cowpea plants by providing nutrients via soil and foliar pathways. Total carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous content of ant constructed shelter (ACS) soil of the lycaenid-harbouring plants were assessed, microbes from the ACS soil were isolated and their plant growth promotion ability was evaluated. Nitrate content of the ant faecal matter was estimated and overall plant fitness was assessed in terms of its growth and yield. The results revealed higher content of total C, N and P in the debris and chamber soil of ACS as compared to the control soil from the base of ant-excluded plants. The microbes isolated from the ACS and ant nest soil were found to possess plant growth promotion abilities. Ant faecal matter was found to contain substantial amount of nitrate. The ant-included, lycaenid-infested plants as well as those lacking the caterpillars demonstrated significantly higher number of pods, number of seeds per pod, root length, shoot length, plant height, number of leaves, plant fresh and dry weight as compared to the control plants. Lycaenid caterpillar tending ant species with a high propensity for visiting plants thus have the potential to increase plant fitness by increasing nutrient availability via multiple pathways.

已知地面蚂蚁物种通过土壤养分的增强来促进植物的生长。弯曲喜树蚂蚁​​定期拜访带有花蜜的，被水仙属侵染的cow豆Vigna unguiculata种植并在植物基地建造一个用于藏青虫的庇护所。本研究表明，蚂蚁可能通过土壤和叶面途径提供养分，从而影响被侵染的cow豆植物的整体健康。评估了携带水杉类植物的蚂蚁掩体（ACS）土壤的总碳，氮和磷含量，从ACS土壤中分离出微生物，并评估了其促进植物生长的能力。估计了蚂蚁粪便中的硝酸盐含量，并根据其生长和产量评估了总体植物适应性。结果表明，与蚂蚁排斥植物基部的对照土壤相比，ACS的碎片和室内土壤中的总C，N和P含量更高。发现从ACS和蚁巢土壤中分离出的微生物具有促进植物生长的能力。发现蚂蚁粪便中含有大量的硝酸盐。包含蚂蚁的，被菜豆虫侵染的植物以及缺少毛虫的植物表现出明显更高的豆荚数，每个豆荚的种子数，根长，苗长，植物高度，叶片数，植物鲜重和干重对照植物。具有很高的来访植物倾向的Lycaenid毛毛虫抚育性物种因此具有通过增加多种途径增加养分的利用率来提高植物适应性的潜力。与对照植物相比，受青菜烯侵染的植物以及缺少毛毛虫的植物表现出明显更高的荚数，每荚的种子数，根长，枝长，植物高度，叶片数，植物鲜重和干重。具有很高的来访植物倾向的Lycaenid毛毛虫抚育性物种因此具有通过增加多种途径增加养分的利用率来提高植物适应性的潜力。与对照植物相比，受青菜烯侵染的植物以及缺少毛毛虫的植物表现出明显更高的荚数，每荚的种子数，根长，枝长，植物高度，叶片数，植物鲜重和干重。具有很高的来访植物倾向的Lycaenid毛毛虫抚育性物种因此具有通过增加多种途径增加养分的利用率来提高植物适应性的潜力。