ABSTRACT
Specific terminology has been defined for the allelochemicals that affect the feeding behavior of insects. Two main classes of behavioral effects need to be considered: recognition and location of the host plant and initiation and continuation of feeding. This chapter presents research results on the causes of yellow yam resistance to Acromyrmex octospinosus. The resistance of D. c. cayenensis to defoliation by Ac. octospinosus is of a chemical nature. The ants showed similar preferences both in the laboratory and in nature in that they eagerly harvested D. bulbifera and harvested almost no D. c. cayenensis. The relationships of the attine ants with plants is complicated by the fact that they culture symbiotic fungi on the plant material they collect. When compared to the controls, the ants collected discs treated with dichloromethane and methanol extracts of D. c. cayenensis less frequently than discs treated with hexane extracts.
