Paulo S. Oliveira	email: pso@unicamp.br
Professor of Ecology Dep. Biologia Animal Universidade Estadual de Campinas 13083-862 Campinas SP, Brazil		Tel +55 19 3521 6316 Fax +55 19 3521 6374

Education

B.S. in Biology, Ecology. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, 1978.

Master in Biology, Ecology. State University of Campinas, 1982. Thesis: "Ant-mimicry in spiders and hemipterans".

Doctor in Science, Biology, Ecology. State University of Campinas, 1988. Thesis: "On the interaction between ants and Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae) in cerrado vegetation: The ecological function of extrafloral nectaries".

Post Doctoral Experience. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, USA, 1988-1990.
Lehrstuhl für Verhaltensphysiologie und Soziobiologie, Universität Würzburg, Germany, 1993.

Teaching Experience

Undergraduate Courses Ethology General Ecology Basic Ecology

Graduate Courses Behavioral Biology of Arthropods Behavioral Ecology Ecology of Organisms Ecology of Communities and Ecosystems Ecology Field Course Introduction to Animal Behavior and Phylogeny Population Ecology

Graduate Students

Master Program in Ecology

1 - Inara R. Leal - Behavioral ecology of Pachycondyla (=Termitopone) marginata (Roger) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): group-raiding and migratory patterns. 1994

2 - Sirayama O. Ferreira - Extrafloral nectaries in Ouratea spectabilis (Ochnaceae) and the associated ant fauna: a study in cerrado vegetation. 1994

3 - André V. L. Freitas - Biology and ecology of Eunica bechina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), and its interaction with ants on Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae). 1994

4 - Flávia N. S. Medeiros - Behavioral ecology of the neotropical ant Pachycondyla striata (Formicidae, Ponerinae) in a semideciduous forest of SE Brazil. 1997

5 - Marcio R. Pie - Behavioral ecology of Ectatomma opaciventre (Formicidae, Ponerinae): foraging and social behavior. 1998

6 - Rafael X. Camargo - Ecology and social behavior in Odontomachus hastatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae). 2002

7 - Tiago B. Quental - Effect of plant phenology on the association between Guayaquila xiphias (Membracidae) and ant attendants in cerrado vegetation. 2002

8 - Rodrigo Cogni - Foraging ecology and recruitment communication in the arboreal ant Gnamptogenys moelleri (Forel) (Ponerinae: Ectatommini). 2003

9 - Humberto P. Dutra - Interaction between ants and Urera baccifera (Urticaceae) in a tropical forest. 2004

10 - Alice Moraes - Biology and behavioral ecology of Pleuroptya silicalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). 2006

11 - Sebastián F. Sendoya - Behavioral ecology at the insect-plant interface: Oviposition by Eunica bechina butterflies on ant-visited plant. 2007

12 - Henrique Silveira - Chemical camouflage in the honeydew-producing treehopper Guayaquila xiphias (Hemiptera). 2008

13 - Pedro Rodrigues - Orientation in the neotropical arboreal ant Odontomachus hastatus (Formicidae: Ponerinae). 2009

14 - Daniel de Paiva Silva - Ecology and natural history of the stinkbug Edessa rufomarginata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). 2010

15 - Ceres Belchior. Behavioral ecology and natural history of the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex naegelii (Formicidae, Myrmicinae): Activity rhythm, diet, home range, and nest structure. 2010. (Co-Advisor)

16 - Danilo Muniz. Ecology and natural history of Eunica bechina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in cerrado savanna. 2011

17 - Mayra C. Vidal. Predation of ants by Rhinoleucophenga (Diptera, Drosophilidae), and its effect on the mutualism between ants and Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae). 2013

18 - Mariane U. V. Ronque. Natural history, behavior, and ecology of Camponotus rufipes and Camponotus renggeri (Formicidae: Formicinae): A comparative study in cerrado vegetation. 2013

19 - Luisa L. Mota. Ant-treehopper associations as visual cues for egg-laying Parrhasius polibetes (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), a facultative myrmecophilous butterfly. 2014.

20 - Javier Ibarra-Isassi. Interactions between ants, treehoppers, flowers, and flower visitors in cerrado vegetation: Experimental study with Byrsonima intermedia A. Juss (Malpighiaceae). 2016.

21 - Verônica B. S. Magalhães. Ants as secondary seed dispersers of Siparuna guianensis (Siparunaceae) in Cerrado savanna. 2016.

22 - Marianne Azevedo-Silva. Genetic diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at colony and population scales: A comparative study of Camponotus renggeri and C. rufipes in Cerrado vegetation. 2017.

23 - Luis Francisco P. P. F. Salles. Edge effects on epigaeic arthropods in cerrado. 2017.

24 - Hélio Soares Jr. Natural history, behavior, and ecology of Camponotus leydigi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in cerrado vegetation. 2018

25 - Ana C. Calheiros. Social organization and foraging in the fungus-farming ant, Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). 2019

26 - Felipe P. Rocha. Bacterial communities associated with Odontomachus chelifer and O. hastatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Evaluating species-specific and interhabitat effects. 2021.

27 - Aline Vieira Silva. The importance of the color pattern of Morpho helenor (Nymphalidae: Morphinae) in reducing predation by birds: An experimental approach. 2022. 

Doctoral Program in Ecology

1 - Kleber Del -Claro - Interaction between ants and Guayaquila xiphias (Homoptera: Membracidae) on Didymopanax vinosum (Araliaceae). 1995

2 - Inara R. Leal - Ecology and natural history of fungus-growing ants (Attini) in cerrado vegetation. 1998

3 - Marco A. Pizo - Ant-plant interactions in the Atlantic forest: ant effects on seed biology of non-myrmecocochorous plants. 1998

4 - Luciana Passos - Interaction between ants, seeds, and fruits in a coastal sandy forest. 1998

5 - Jarbas Queiroz - Interaction between ants and the whitefly Aleyrothrixus aepim (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on Croton (Euphorbiaceae). 2001

6 - Glauco Machado - Behavioral ecology and natural history of neotropical harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones). 2002

7 - Cecilia Díaz Castelazo. Riqueza, distribución y morfología de nectarios extraflorales en la vegetación de La Mancha, Veracruz: Su papel en la interacción hormiga-planta. Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Xalapa, Veracruz, México. 2005. (Co-Advisor).

8- Alexander Christianini - Ant-seed interactions in the cerrado savanna. 2007

9 - Claudia Bottcher - The use of seeds and fruits by ants in the Atlantic rainforest: Natural history, ecology, and spatial variation of a prominent interaction. 2010

10 - Lucas A. Kaminski. Myrmecophily in Parrhasius polibetes (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): Natural history, costs, host-plant selection, and benefits of co-occurrence with myrmecophilous hemipterans. 2010. (Co-Advisor)

11 - Sebastián F. Sendoya. Spatial variation in multitrophic systems: Host plants and defense against ants in the Lepidoptera. 2012

12 - Ana Gabriela D. Bieber. Ant-fruit interactions and habitat fragmentation in the Atlantic rainforest. 2012

13 - Ana Z. Gonçalves. Ants in bromeliads: Cascading effects on the diversity of arthropods, nutrient cycling and ecophysiology of the host plants. 2016 (Co-Advisor)

14 - Mariane U. V. Ronque. Ecology, behavior and microbiology of fungus-farming ants (Formicidae, Myrmicinae, Attini, Attina) in Atlantic rainforest. 2018

15 – Marianne Azevedo-Silva. Ants, biodiversity and latitudinal gradient: Investigating interactions with plants, functional variation and genetic diversity in the Cerrado savanna. 2023

16 – Marília R. Bitar. Canopy dominant ant species and associated microbiota: Commensal adaptations to harsh environments. 2024 (Co-Advisor)

Editorial Experience

Biotropica (USA) - Subject Editor (1998-1999, 2002-2004)
Journal of Insect Science (USA) - Subject Editor (2012 - 2019)
Ad hoc referee of over 40 international journals

Professional Honors

President of the Association for Tropical Biology ( USA ) (1999)
Zeferino Vaz Award for Academic Recognition (2001) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas
Honorary Fellow of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (2012)
CAPES Thesis Award, Biodiversity (2008, A.V. Christianini, Honorable Mention)
CAPES Thesis Award, Biodiversity (2011, L.A. Kaminski, Best Thesis, Co-Advisor)

Main Research Interests

Ants are dominant organisms whose individual colonies may contain several million workers. Their numerical dominance in terrestrial habitats is combined with a broad taxonomic diversity and a widespread distribution, especially in the tropics. Among other things the ecological success of ants is attributed to their eusocial mode of life, local abundance, and diversity of adaptations. Such traits result in a wide variety of feeding habits and foraging strategies, including the use of plant foliage as a foraging substrate. Intense foraging on vegetation appears to have set the scenario for a multitude of interactions with many plant species worldwide, ranging from facultative to obligate ant-plant associations. By frequently foraging on the plant surface ants often affect the life of a particular trophic group -- the herbivores. The abundance of ants on the ground of tropical habitats is also remarkable. Recent studies have shown that ground-dwelling ants actively interact with a wide range of fleshy fruits, and can markedly affect seed fate, as well as seedling growth and survival. Even leaf-cutter ants, traditionally viewed as pests, have recently been shown to positively influence the biology of seeds.

The focus of my research is the Natural History, Ecology, and Behavior of Tropical Ants. Our investigations are divided into three main areas:

(1) Ant-plant-herbivore interactions
(2) Behavioral ecology of ants
(3) Ant-seed interactions

Research activities include collaborations with other universities in Brazil and abroad, and involve observations and experiments both in the field and in the laboratory.

Selected Publications

Books

Oliveira, P.S. & Koptur, S. 2017 (Editors). Ant-Plant Interactions: Impacts of Humans on Terrestrial Ecosystems. 431 pp. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. >> link for the book

Del-Claro, K., Oliveira, P.S. & Rico-Gray, V. 2009 (Editors). Encyclopedia of Tropical Biology and Conservation Management. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 11 Volumes, 5000 pp. EOLSS Publishers Co. Ltd., Paris, France. >> link for the book

Rico-Gray, V. & Oliveira, P.S. 2007. The Ecology and Evolution of Ant-Plant Interactions. 331 pp. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. >> link for the book

Oliveira, P.S. & Marquis, R.J. 2002 (Editors). The Cerrados of Brazil: Ecology and Natural History of a Neotropical Savanna. 398 pp. Columbia University Press, NY. >> link for the book

Journal Articles and Book Chapters [full list]

Oliveira, P.S. & Sazima, I. 1984. The adaptive bases of ant-mimicry in a neotropical aphantochild spider (Araneae: Aphantochilidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 22: 145-155. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. 1985. On the mimetic association between nymphs of Hyalymenus spp. (Hemiptera: Alydidae) and ants. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 83: 371-384. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & Leitão-Filho, H.F. 1987. Extrafloral nectaries: Their taxonomic distribution and abundance in the woody flora of cerrado vegetation in Southeast Brazil. Biotropica, 19: 140-148. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S., Silva, A.F. da & Martins, A.B. 1987. Ant foraging on extrafloral nectaries of Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae) in cerrado vegetation: ants as potential antiherbivore agents. Oecologia 74: 228-230. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. 1988. Ant-mimicry in some Brazilian salticid and clubionid spiders (Araneae: Salticidae, Clubionidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 33: 1-15. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & Hölldobler, B. 1989. Orientation and communication in the Neotropical ant Odontomachus bauri Emery (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae). Ethology, 83: 154-166. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & Hölldobler, B. 1990. Dominance orders in the ponerine ant Pachycondyla apicalis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 27: 385-393. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & and Oliveira-Filho, A.T. 1991. Distribution of extrafloral nectaries in the woody flora of tropical communities in Western Brazil. In: Plant-Animal Interactions: Evolutionary Ecology in Tropical and Temperate Regions. P.W. Price, T.M. Lewinsohn, G.W. Fernandes & W.W. Benson (editors). John Wiley & Sons, New York. pp. 163-175.

Oliveira, P.S. & Brandão, C.R.F. 1991. The ant community associated with extrafloral nectaries in Brazilian cerrados. In: Ant-Plant Interactions. Cutler, D.F. & Huxley, C.R. (editors). Oxford University Press, Oxford. pp. 198-212.

Medeiros, F.N.S., Lopes, L.E., Moutinho, P.R.S., Oliveira, P.S. & Hölldobler, B. 1992. Functional polygyny, agonistic interactions and reproductive dominance in the neotropical ant Odontomachus chelifer (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae). Ethology 91: 134-146. [PDF]

Del Claro, K. & Oliveira, P.S. 1993. Ant-homoptera interaction: do alternative sugar sources distract tending ants? Oikos 68: 202-206. [PDF]

Fernandes, W.D., Oliveira, P.S., Carvalho, S.L. & Habib, M.E.M. 1994. Pheidole ants as potential biological control agents of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Southeast Brazil. Journal of Applied Entomology 118: 437-441. [PDF]

Leal, I.R. & Oliveira, P.S. 1995. Behavioral ecology of the neotropical termite-hunting ant Pachycondyla (=Termitopone) marginata: colony founding, group-raiding and migratory patterns. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 37: 373-383. [PDF]

Hölldobler, B., Janssen, E., Bestmann, H.J., Leal, I.R., Oliveira, P.S., Kern, F., König, W.A. 1996. Communication in the migratory termite-hunting ant Pachycondyla (=Termitopone) marginata (Formicidae, Ponerinae). Journal of Comparative Physiology 178: 47-53. [PDF]

Freitas, A.V.L. & Oliveira, P.S. 1996. Ants as selective agents on herbivore biology: effects on the behaviour of a non-myrmecophilous butterfly. Journal of Animal Ecology 65: 205-210. [PDF]

Del-Claro, K. & Oliveira, P.S. 1996. Honeydew flicking by treehoppers provides cues to potential tending ants. Animal Behaviour 51: 1071-1075. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. 1997. The ecological function of extrafloral nectaries: herbivore deterrence by visiting ants and reproductive output in Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae). Functional Ecology 11: 323-330. [PDF]

Castanho, L.M. & Oliveira, P.S. 1997. Biology and behaviour of the neotropical ant-mimicking spider Aphantochilus rogersi (Araneae: Aphantochilidae): nesting, maternal care and ontogeny of ant-hunting techniques. Journal of Zoology 242: 643-650. [PDF]

Leal, I.R. & Oliveira, P.S. 1998. Interactions Between Fungus-Growing Ants (Attini), Fruits and Seeds in Cerrado Vegetation in Southeast Brazil. Biotropica 30: 170-178. [PDF]

Pizo, M.A. & Oliveira, P.S. 1998. Interaction between ants and seeds of a nonmyrmecochorous neotropical tree, Cabralea canjerana (Meliaceae), in the Atlantic forest of Southeast Brazil. American Journal of Botany 85: 669-674. [PDF]

Pizo, M.A. & Oliveira, P.S. 1999. Removal of seeds from vertebrate faeces by ants: effects of seed species and deposition site. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:1595–1602. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S., Rico-Gray, V., Díaz-Castelazo, C, & Castillo-Guevara, C. 1999. Interaction between ants, extrafloral nectaries, and insect herbivores in Neotropical coastal sand dunes: Herbivore deterrence by visiting ants increases fruit set in Opuntia stricta (Cactaceae). Functional Ecology 13: 623-631. [PDF]

Del-Claro, K. & Oliveira, P.S. 2000. Conditional outcomes in a neotropical treehopper-ant association: temporal and species-specific variation in ant protection and homopteran fecundity. Oecologia 124: 156-165. [PDF]

Leal, I.R. & Oliveira, P.S. 2000. Foraging ecology of attine ants in a Neotropical savanna: seasonal use of fungal substrate in the cerrado vegetation of Brazil. Insectes Sociaux 47: 376-382. [PDF]

Pizo, M.A. & Oliveira, P.S. 2000. The Use of Fruits and Seeds by Ants in the Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil. Biotropica 32(b): 851-861. [PDF]

Queiroz, J.M. & Oliveira, P.S. 2001. Tending ants protect honeydew-producing whiteflies (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Environmental Entomology 30: 295-297. [PDF]

Pizo, M.A. & Oliveira, P.S. 2001. Size and lipid content of nonmyrmecochorous diaspores: effects on the interaction with litter-foraging ants in the Atlantic rain forest of Brazil. Plant Ecology 157: 37-52.  [PDF]

Passos, L. & Oliveira, P.S. 2002. Ants affect the distribution and performance of Clusia criuva seedlings, a primarily bird-dispersed rainforest tree. Journal of Ecology 90: 517-528. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S., Freitas, A.V.L. & Del-Claro, K. 2002. Ant foraging on plant foliage: contrasting effects on the behavioral ecology of insect herbivores. In: The Cerrados of Brazil: Ecology and Natural History of a Neotropical Savanna. Oliveira, P.S. & Marquis R.J. (editors). Columbia University Press, NY. pp. 287-305. [PDF]

Fourcassié, V. & Oliveira, P. S. 2002. Foraging ecology of the giant Amazonian ant Dinoponera gigantea (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae): activity schedule, diet, and spatial foraging patterns. Journal of Natural History 36: 2211-2227. [PDF]

Passos, L. & Oliveira, P.S. 2003. Interactions between ants, fruits, and seeds in a restinga forest in south-eastern Brazil. Journal of Tropical Ecology 19: 261-270. [PDF]

Cogni, R., Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira P.S. 2003. Interhabitat differences in ant activity on plant foliage: Ants at extrafloral nectaries of Hibiscus pernambucensis in sandy and mangrove forests. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 107: 125-131. [PDF]

Rico-Gray, V., Oliveira, P.S., Parra-Tabla, V., Cuautle, M. & Díaz-Castelazo, C. 2004. Ant-Plant Interactions: Their Seasonal Variation andEffects on Plant Fitness. In: Coastal Sand Dunes: Ecology and Restoration. Martínez M.L., Psuty, N. & Lubke, R. (editors). Springer-Verlag, Berlin. pp. 221-239. [PDF]

Pizo, M.A., L. Passos & P.S. Oliveira. 2005. Ants as seed dispersers of fleshy diaspores in Brazilian Atlantic forests. In: Seed fate: Predation and secondary dispersal. P.-M. Forget, J. E. Lambert, P. E. Hulme & S. B. Vander Wall (editors.). CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK. pp 315-329. [PDF]

Cogni, R. & Oliveira P.S. 2004. Patterns in foraging and nesting ecology in the neotropical ant Gnamptogenys moelleri (Formicidae, Ponerinae). Insectes Sociaux 51:123-130. [PDF]

Passos, L. & Oliveira, P.S. 2004. Interaction between ants and fruits of Guapira opposita (Nyctaginaceae) in a Brazilian sandy plain rainforest: ant effects on seeds and seedlings. Oecologia 139: 376-382. [PDF]

Cogni, R. & Oliveira P.S. 2004. Recruitment behavior during foraging in the neotropical ant Gnamptogenys moelleri (Formicidae: Ponerinae): does the type of food matter. Journal of Insect Behavior 17:443-458. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & Freitas A.V.L. 2004. Ant-Plant-Herbivore Interactions in the Neotropical Cerrado Savanna. Naturwissenschaften 91:557-570. [PDF]

Díaz-Castelazo, C., V. Rico-Gray, P.S. Oliveira & M. Cuautle. 2004. Extrafloral nectary-mediated ant-plant interactions in the coastal vegetation of Veracruz, Mexico: Richness, occurrence, seasonality and ant foraging patterns. Ecoscience 11:472-481. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & Del-Claro, K. 2005. Multitrophic interactions in a neotropical savanna: Ant-hemipteran systems, associated insect herbivores, and a host plant. In: Biotic Interactions in the Tropics. Burslem, DFRP, Pinard, MA & Hartley, SE (editors). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. pp. 414-438. [PDF]

Pizo, M.A., P.R. Guimarães, Jr. & P.S. Oliveira. 2005. Seed removal by ants from faeces produced by different vertebrate species. Ecoscience 12:136-140. [PDF]

Quental, T.B., J.R. Trigo & P.S. Oliveira. 2005. Host-Plant Flowering Status and Sugar Concentration of Phloem Sap: Effects on an Ant-Treehopper Interaction. European Journal of Entomology 102:201-208. [PDF]

Dutra, H.P, Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira P.S. 2006. Dual ant attraction in the Neotropical shrub Urera baccifera (Urticaceae): the role of ant visitation to pearl bodies and fruits in herbivore deterrence and leaf longevity. Functional Ecology 20:252-260. [PDF]

Christianini, A.V, Mayhé-Nunes, A.J. & Oliveira P.S. 2007. The role of ants in the removal of non-myrmecochorous diaspores and seed germination in a Neotropical savanna. Journal of Tropical Ecology 23:343-351. [PDF]

Guimarães Jr., P.R., Rico-Gray, V., Oliveira, P.S., Izzo, T.J., dos Reis, S.F. & Thompson, J.N. 2007. Interaction intimacy affects structure and coevolutionary dynamics in mutualistic networks. Current Biology 17:1-7. [PDF] [PDF-supll]

Machado, S.R., Morellato, L.P.C., Sajo, M.G., & Oliveira, P.S. 2008. Morphological patterns of extrafloral nectaries in woody plant species of the Brazilian cerrado. Plant Biology 10: 660-673. [PDF]

Kaminski, L. A., Sendoya, S.F., Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira, P.S. 2009. Ecologia comportamental na interface formiga-planta-herbívoro: Interações entre formigas e lepidópteros. Oecologia Brasiliensis 13:27-44.  [PDF]

Medeiros, F.N.S. & Oliveira, P.S. 2009. Season-Dependent Foraging Patterns: Case Study of a Neotropical Forest-Dwelling Ant (Pachycondyla striata; Ponerinae). In: Food Exploitation by Social Insects: Ecological, Behavioral, and Theoretical Approaches. S. Jarau & M. Hrncir (editores). CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, USA. pp. 81-95. [PDF]

Christianini, A.V . & Oliveira, P.S. 2009. The relevance of ants as seed rescuers of a primarily bird-dispersed tree in the neotropical cerrado savanna. Oecologia 160:735–745. [PDF]

Raimundo, R. L. G., Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira, P.S. 2009. Seasonal patterns in activity rhythm and foraging ecology in the Neotropical forest-dwelling ant, Odontomachus chelifer (Formicidae: Ponerinae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 102:1151-1157. [PDF]

Sendoya, S.F., Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira, P.S. 2009. Egg-laying butterflies distinguish predaceous ants by sight. American Naturalist 174:134-140. [PDF]

Silveira, H.C.P., Oliveira, P.S., & Trigo, J.R. 2010. Attracting predators without falling prey: Chemical camouflage protects honeydew-producing treehoppers from ant predation. American Naturalist 175:261-268. [PDF]

Christianini, A.V . & Oliveira, P.S. 2010. Birds and ants provide complementary seed dispersal in a neotropical savanna. Journal of Ecology 98:573–582. [PDF]

Schoereder, J.H., Sobrinho, T.G., Madureira, M.S., Ribas, C.R., & Oliveira, P.S. 2010. The arboreal ant community visiting extrafloral nectaries in the Neotropical cerrado savanna. Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews 3:3-27. [PDF]

Rodrigues, D., Kaminski, L.A., Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira, P.S. 2010. Trade-offs underlying polyphagy in a facultative ant-tended florivorous butterfly: the role of host plant quality and enemy-free space. Oecologia 163:719-728. [PDF]

Kaminski, L.A., Freitas, A.V.L., & Oliveira, P.S. 2010. Interaction between mutualisms: Ant-tended butterflies exploit enemy-free space provided by ant-treehopper associations. American Naturalist 176:322-334. [PDF]

Silva, D.P. & Oliveira, P.S. 2010. Field biology of Edessa rufomarginata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): Phenology, behavior, and patterns of host plant use. Environmental Entomology 39:1903-1910. [PDF]

Oliveira, P. S., Camargo, R. X. & Fourcassié, V. 2011. Nesting patterns, ecological correlates of polygyny and social organization in the neotropical arboreal ant Odontomachus hastatus (Formicidae, Ponerinae). Insectes Sociaux 58:207–217. [PDF]

Leal, I. R.; Silva, P. S. D., & Oliveira, P.S. 2011. Natural history and ecological correlates of fungus-growing ants (Formicidae: Attini) in the Neotropical cerrado savanna. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 104: 910-908. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S., Sendoya S.F., & Del-Claro, K. 2012. Defesas bióticas contra herbívoros em plantas do Cerrado: Interações entre formigas, nectários extraflorais e insetos trofobiontes. In: Ecologia das Interações Plantas-Animais: Uma Abordagem Ecológico-Evolutiva. K. Del-Claro & H. M. Torezan-Silingardi. (Editores). Rio de Janeiro: Technical Books. pp. 155-168.

Christianini, A. V., Mayhé-Nunes, A. J., & Oliveira, P.S. 2012. Exploitation of Fallen Diaspores By Ants: Are There Ant-Plant Partner Choices? Biotropica 44:360-367. [PDF]

Camargo, R. X. & Oliveira, P.S. 2012. Natural history of the Neotropical arboreal ant, Odontomachus hastatus (Formicidae, Ponerinae): Nest sites, foraging schedule, and diet. Journal of Insect Science 12: 48. [PDF]

Moraes, A., Greeney H. F., Oliveira, P.S., Barbosa E. P., Freitas, A. V. L. 2012. Morphology and behavior of the early stages of the skipper Urbanus esmeraldus on an ant-visited host plant, Urera baccifera. Journal of Insect Science 12: 52. [PDF]

Bächtold, A., Del-Claro, K., Kaminski, L. A., Freitas, A. V. L., & Oliveira, P. S. 2012. Natural history of an ant-plant-butterfly interaction in a Neotropical savanna. Journal of Natural History 46: 943-954. [PDF]

Leal, I. R.; Silva, P. S. D., & Oliveira, P.S. 2012. Letter to the Editor. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 105: 509. [PDF]

Muniz, D.G., Freitas, A.V.L. & Oliveira, P.S. 2012. Phenological relationships of Eunica bechina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) and its host plant, Caryocar brasiliense (Caryocaraceae), in a Neotropical savanna. Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 47: 111–118. [PDF]

Belchior, C., Del-Claro, K. & Oliveira, P.S. 2012. Seasonal patterns in the foraging ecology of the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex naegelii (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in a Neotropical savanna: Daily rhythms, shifts in granivory and carnivory, and home range. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 6:571–582. [PDF]

Christianini, A.V. & Oliveira, P.S. 2013. Edge effects decrease ant-derived benefits to seedlings in a neotropical savanna. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 7:191-199. [PDF]

Bieber, A.G.D., Silva, P.D. & Oliveira, P.S. 2013. Attractiveness of Fallen Fleshy Fruits to Ants Depends on Previous Handling by Frugivores. Écoscience 20:85-89. [PDF]

Bieber, A.G.D., Silva, P.S.D., Sendoya S.F. & Oliveira, P. S. 2014. Assessing the Impact of Deforestation of the Atlantic Rainforest on Ant-Fruit Interactions: A Field Experiment Using Synthetic Fruits. Plos One, 9: e90369. [PDF]

Christianini, A.V., Oliveira, P.S., Bruna, E.M. & Vasconcelos, H.L. 2014. Fauna in decline: Meek shall inherit. Science, 345: 1129. [PDF]

Rodrigues, P.A.P. & Oliveira, P.S. 2014. Visual navigation in the Neotropical ant Odontomachus hastatus (Formicidae, Ponerinae), a predominantly nocturnal, canopy-dwelling predator of the Atlantic rainforest. Behavioural Processes 109:48-57. [PDF]

Bottcher, C. & Oliveira, P.S. 2014. Consumption of lipid-rich seed arils improves larval development in a Neotropical primarily carnivorous ant, Odontomachus chelifer (Ponerinae). Journal of Tropical Ecology 30:621-624. [PDF]

Sendoya S.F. & Oliveira, P.S. 2015. Ant-caterpillar antagonism at the community Level: Interhabitat variation of tritrophic interactions in a Neotropical savanna. Journal of Animal Ecology 84:442-452. [PDF]

Azevedo-Silva, M., Mori, G.M. Souza, A.P. & Oliveira, P.S. 2015. Microsatellites for two Neotropical dominant ant species, Camponotus renggeri and C. rufipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Conservation Genetics Resources 7:459-462. [PDF]

Ronque, M.U.V., Azevedo-Silva, M., Mori, G.M., Souza, A.P. & Oliveira, P.S. 2016. Three ways to distinguish species: using behavioural, ecological, and molecular data to tell apart two closely related ants, Camponotus renggeri and Camponotus rufipes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 176:170-181. [PDF]

Sendoya, S.F., Blüthgen, N., Tamashiro, J.Y., Fernandez, F. & Oliveira, P.S. 2016. Foliage-foraging ants in a neotropical savanna: effects of plant and insect exudates on ant communities. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 10:183-195. [PDF]

Gonçalves, A.Z., Oliveira, R.S., Oliveira, P.S. & Romero, G.Q. 2016. Species-specific effects of ant inhabitants on bromeliad nutrition. Plos One 11: e0152113. [PDF]

Mota, L.L. & Oliveira, P.S. 2016. Myrmecophilous butterflies utilise ant-treehopper associations as visual cues for oviposition. Ecological Entomology 41:338-343. [PDF]

Vidal, M.C., Sendoya, S.F. & Oliveira, P.S. 2016. Mutualism exploitation: Predatory drosophilid larvae sugar-trap ants and jeopardize facultative ant-plant mutualism. Ecology 97:1650–1657. [PDF]

Bachtold, A., Kaminski L.A., Magaldi, L.M., Oliveira, P.S., Del-Claro, K., Janzen, D.H., Burns, J.M., Grishin, N., Hajibabaei, M., Hallwachs, W. & Freitas, A.V.L. 2017. Integrative data helps the assessment of a butterfly within the Udranomia kikkawai species complex (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae): Immature stages, natural history, and molecular evidence. Zoologischer Anzeiger 266:169-176. [PDF]

Breviglieri, C.P.B., Oliveira, P.S. & Romero, G.Q. 2017. Fear mediates trophic cascades: nonconsumptive effects of predators drive aquatic ecosystem function. American Naturalist 189:490-500. [PDF]

Cuquetto-Leite, L., Dolder, H., Oliveira, P.S., Espirito-Santo, N.B., Lino-Neto, J. & Mancini, K.C. 2017. Structural and Ultrastructural Characterization of the Spermatozoa in Pachycondyla striata and P. marginata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae. Insectes Sociaux 64:209–217. [PDF]

Gonçalves A.Z., Srivastava D.S., Oliveira, P.S. & Romero, G.Q. 2017. Effects of predatory ants within and across ecosystems in bromeliad food webs. Journal of Animal Ecology 86:790–799. [PDF]

Oliveira, P.S. & Koptur, S. 2017. Ants and plants: A prominent interaction in a changing world. In: Ant-Plant Interactions: Impacts of Humans on Terrestrial Ecosystems, Oliveira, P.S. & Koptur, S. (editors). pp. XV- XIX. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Oliveira, P.S., Christianini, A.V., Bieber, A.G.D., & Pizo, M.A. 2017. Anthropogenic disturbances affect the interactions between ants and fleshy fruits in two Neotropical biodiversity hotspots. In: Ant-Plant Interactions: Impacts of Humans on Terrestrial Ecosystems, Oliveira, P.S. & Koptur, S. (editors). pp. 133-156. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Sendoya, S.F & Oliveira, P.S. 2017. Behavioural ecology of defence in a risky environment: Caterpillars versus ants in a Neotropical savanna. Ecological Entomology 42: 553-556. [PDF]

Ronque, M.U.V., Fourcassié, V. & Oliveira, P.S. 2018. Ecology and field biology of two dominant Camponotus ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Brazilian savannah. Journal of Natural History 52: 237-252. [PDF]

Ibarra-Isassi, J. & Oliveira, P.S. 2018. Indirect effects of mutualism: ant-treehopper associations deter pollinators and reduce reproduction in a tropical shrub. Oecologia 186: 691-701. [PDF]

Ronque, M.U.V., Migliorini, G.H., & Oliveira, P.S. 2018. Thievery in rainforest fungus-growing ants: Interspecific assault on culturing material at nest entrance. Insectes Sociaux 65: 507-510. [PDF]

Magalhaes, V.B., Espírito Santo, N.B., Salles, L.F.P., Soares Jr, H. & Oliveira, P.S. 2018. Secondary seed dispersal by ants in Neotropical cerrado savanna: Species-specific effects on seeds and seedlings of Siparuna guianensis (Siparunaceae). Ecological Entomology 43: 665–674. [PDF]

Vidal, M.C., Sendoya S.F., Yamaguchi, L.F., Kato, M.J., Oliveira, R.S. & Oliveira, P.S. 2018. Natural history of a sit-and-wait dipteran predator that uses extrafloral nectar as prey attractant. Environmental Entomology 47: 1165–1172. [PDF]

Salles, L.F.P., Christianini, A.V. & Oliveira, P.S. 2018. Dirt roads and fire breaks produce no edge effects on litter-dwelling arthropods in a tropical dry-forest: a case study. Journal of Insect Conservation 22:647-657. [PDF]

Camargo, P., Christianini, A.V., Piratelli, A., Oliveira, P.S. & Rodrigues, S. 2019. Interhabitat variation in diplochory: Seed dispersal effectiveness by birds and ants differs between Atlantic forest and Cerrado savanna. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 38:48-57. [PDF]

Ronque, M.U.V., Feitosa, R.M. & Oliveira, P.S. 2019. Natural history and ecology of fungus-farming ants: a field study in Atlantic rainforest. Insectes Sociaux 66:375-387. [PDF]

Calheiros, A.C., Ronque, M.U.V., Soares, Jr, H., & Oliveira, P.S. 2019. Field biology and foraging ecology of the leaf-cutter ant Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Neotropical Cerrado savanna. Environmental Entomology 48:1434-1441. [PDF]

Calheiros, A.C., Ronque, M.U.V., & Oliveira, P.S. 2019. Social organization and subcaste specialization in the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex subterraneus (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Journal of Insect Behavior 32:267-280. [PDF]

Azevedo-Silva, M., Mori, G.M., Carvalho, C.S., Côrtes, M.C., Souza. A.P., Oliveira, P.S. 2020. Breeding systems and genetic diversity in tropical carpenter ant colonies: different strategies for similar outcomes in Brazilian Cerrado savanna. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 190:1020–1035. [PDF]

Ronque, M.U.V., Lyra, M.L., Migliorini, G.H., Bacci M., Oliveira, P.S. 2020. Symbiotic bacterial communities in rainforest fungus-farming ants: evidence for species and colony specificity. Scientific Reports 10:10172. [PDF]

Lemos, A. S. M.; Azevedo-Silva, M.; Gonçalves-Neto, S.; Souza, A.P. & Oliveira, P.S. 2020. Microsatellites for the Neotropical Ant, Odontomachus chelifer (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Insect Science 20(5):1- 6. [PDF]

Gonçalves-Neto, S., Azevedo-Silva, M., Lemos, A.S.M. Souza, A.P., & Oliveira, P.S. 2021. Microsatellites for the Neotropical Ant, Camponotus leydigi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological Science 24:79-84. [PDF]

Soares Jr, H. & Oliveira, P.S. 2021. Foraging and spatial ecology of a polydomous carpenter ant, Camponotus leydigi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in tropical Cerrado savanna: A natural history account. Environmental Entomology 50:19-27. [PDF]

Freitas, A.V.L., Muniz, D.G., Carreira, J.Y.O. & Oliveira, P.S. 2021. Fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in a Neotropical savanna: Assessing phenological patterns using baited traps. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 75:88-103. [PDF]

Dáttilo, W., Serio-Silva, J.C., Thompson, J.N., Del-Claro, K., Guimarães, P.R., Oliveira, P.S., Jordano, P., Marquis, R.J., & Koptur, S. 2021. In remembrance of Victor Rico Gray (1951-2021): An astonishing tropical ecologist. Biotropica 53:1238-1243. [PDF]

Silva, R.R., Martello, F., Feitosa, R.M., Silva, O., Prado, L., Brandão, C.R.F., Albuquerque, E., Morini, M., Delabie, J., Monteiro, E., Ribeiro, M., et al., Oliveira, P.S., et al. 2022. Atlantic ants: a dataset of ants in Atlantic forests of South America. Ecology 103 (2) e03580. [PDF]

Koptur, S., Clayborn, J., Harris, B., Jones, I., Pimienta, M.C., Primoli, A.S., & Oliveira, P.S. 2022. Caterpillar responses to ant protectors of plants. In: Caterpillars in the Middle. Marquis R.J. and S. Koptur (eds). Springer, Berlin. pp 297–317. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-86688-4_10 [PDF]

Pereyra, M., Zeballos, S.R., Galetto, L., & Oliveira. P.S. 2022. Influence of secondary dispersal by ants on invasive processes of exotic species with fleshy fruits. Biological Invasions 24: 3275-3289. [PDF]

Rocha, F.P., Ronque, M.U.V., Lyra, M.L., Bacci, M., & Oliveira, P.S. 2023. Habitat and Host Species Drive the Structure of Bacterial Communities of Two Neotropical Trap-Jaw Odontomachus Ants. Microbial Ecology 86:699-712. [PDF]

Azevedo-Silva, M., Lemos, A.S.M., Gonçalves-Neto, S., Salles, L.P.S., Pereyra, M., Christianini, A.V., Souza, A.P., & Oliveira, P.S. 2023. Are There Edge Effects on the Genetic Diversity of the Trap-Jaw Ant Odontomachus chelifer (Formicidae: Ponerinae) in a Neotropical Savanna Fragment? A First Assessment. Environmental Entomology 52: 279–285. [PDF]

Azevedo-Silva, M., Côrtes, M.C., Carvalho, C.S., Mori, G.M., Souza, A.P., & Oliveira, P.S. 2023. Landscape genetics in a highly threatened environment: how relevant to ants is the physiognomic mosaic of the cerrado savanna? Conservation Genetics. 24: 709-719. [PDF]

Bottcher, C., Berthelot, K., Bernadou, A., Orivel, J., Fourcassié, V., Oliveira, P.S. & Jeanson, R. 2024. Colony structure, ecological correlates and nestmate recognition in the ant Odontomachus hastatus: A comparative study between populations with different social organizations. Insectes Sociaux 71: 61-73. [PDF]

Bitar, M.R.; Tome, L.R.; Costa, F.V.; Kato, R.B.; Oliveira, P.S.; Goes-Neto, A.; Ribeiro, S.P. 2024. Bacterial communities associated with a polydomous arboreal ant: inter-nest variation and interaction with the phyllosphere of a tropical tree. Myrmecological News, 34: 119-127. [PDF]

Vieira-Silva, A., G.B. Evora, A.V.L. Freitas, P.S. Oliveira. 2024. The Relevance of Flash Coloration Against Avian Predation in a Morpho Butterfly: A Field Experiment in a Tropical Rainforest. Ethology 130: 1-9. [PDF]