Cataulacus mckeyi

Cataulacus mckeyi is a plant-ant specifically associated with the patchily distributed understorey tree Leonardoxa africana africana (Cesalpiniaceae) in Cameroonian rainforests. The presence of a colony of C. mckeyi in a tree prevents Petalomyrmex phylax from occupying this tree, and does not provide protection against herbivores. The proportion of trees occupied by C. mckeyi of L. a. africana varies from 0% to 33% (Debout, unpublished data) among populations. In some of the study sites, C. mckeyi expresses polydomous colony structure (i.e. one colony occupies several different trees). (Debout et al. 2002)

Distribution
This taxon was described from Cameroun.

Biology
Cataulacus mckeyi has been the subject of numerous studies (Guame and Mckey 1999, Debout et al. 2002, 2003) in large part to explore it relationship with the only plant it has ever been found to nest within, Leonardoxa africana, and its mutualist ant partner Petalomyrmex phylax.

Foraging is diurnal. Workers are not aggressive, passing over many potential prey and not recruiting to larvae that are readily preyed upon by the smaller P. phylax. Unlike the latter, C. mckeyi provides little protection against herbivores for its host and in fact can be viewed as a parasite of the mutualism between phylax and the nectar producing plant.

Genetics
Polymorphic microsatellites have been identified for this species. (Debout et al. 2002)

Nomenclature

 *  mckeyi. Cataulacus mckeyi Snelling, R.R. 1979a: 5, figs. 9-18 (w.q.m.) CAMEROUN. See also: McKey, 1984: 81.

Additional References

 * Debout, G., A. Dalecky, et al. 2002. Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellites in the tropical plant-ant Cataulacus mckeyi (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Mol. Ecol. Notes 2: 459-461.


 * Debout, G., E. Provost, M. Renucci, A. Tirard, B. Schatz, and D. McKey. 2003. Colony structure in a plant-ant: behavioural, chemical and genetic study of polydomy in Cataulacus mckeyi (Myrmicinae). Oecologia. 137:195-204.


 * Gaume, L. and D. McKey. 1999. An ant-plant mutualism and its host-specific parasite: activity rhythms, young leaf patrolling, and effects on herbivores of two specialist plant-ant inhabing the same mymecophyte. Oikos. 84:130-144.