Extrafloral nectar fuels ant life in deserts

Many ant–plant associations are mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs): nectar-producing structures not related to pollination and commonly found on leaves and inflorescences. These sweet secretions represent a critical energy resource for many ant species and constitute the basis for protective mutualisms: by providing ants with food, ants protect plants from herbivores. Although EFN-bearing plants occur in a wide range of habitats and climates worldwide, interactions mediated by EFN-bearing plants are poorly documented in deserts. In a recent article published in AoB PLANTS, Aranda-Rickert et al. show that, in a seasonal desert of northwestern Argentina, biotic interactions between EFN-bearing plants and ants are ecologically relevant components of deserts, and that EFN-bearing plants are crucial for the survival of desert ant communities.