la perception et la reconnaissance par I'insecte de composes tox- iques pour son partenaire basidiomycete? Les recherches, pour- suivies dans ce sens, devraient permettre d'apporter de nouveaux elements pour la comprehension des relations particulieres entire les Attines et les plants. Enfin, I'etude des mecanismes de pro- tection des ignames est d'un interet agronomique evident : leur connaissance permet d'imaginer de nouvelles methods de pro- tection des cultures trop souvent ravages par les Attines : -amelioration de varieties d'ignames par genie genetique (inclu- sion des genes de synthese des antiappetants); -protection d'autres cultures sensibles par pulverisation sur les feullages de composes antiappetants. Remerciements Ces travaux ont tE finances par la CORDET; contract Agronomie n C 101 (1983) et seront achevEs grace a la meme aide n C 402 (1984). References 1. Allen, E.H., and J. Kuc. 1968. Alpha-solanine and Beta-chaconine as fungitoxic compounds in extracts of irish potato tubers. Phytopathology 58:776-781. 2. Amante, E. 1967. A formiga sauva Atta capiquara praga das pastagaens. Biologico 33:113-120. 3. Blanche, D. 1961. La fourmi-manioc. Ministere de l'Agriculture, Service de la Protection des VEgEtaux, SEP Ed., Paris ier. 4. Bowers, M.A., and S.D. Porter. 1981. Effect of foraging distance on water content of substrate harvested by Atta columbica (Guerin) Ecology 62:273-275. 5. Chen, T.K., and D.F. Wiemer. 1984. A volatile leafcutter ant repellent from Astronium graveolens. Naturwissenschaften 71:97-98. 6. Cherrett, J.M. 1968. The foraging behaviour of Atta cephalotes L. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). I: Foraging pattern and plant species attacked in tropical rain forest. J. Anim. Ecol. 37:387-403. 7. Cherrett, J.M. 1980. Possible reasons for the mutualism between leaf- cutting ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and their fungus. Biologie Ecologie mediterranEenne 7:113-122. 8. Cramer, H.H. 1967. Plant protection and world crop production. Pfschutz. Nachr. Bayer 20:1-524. 9. Dahlman, D.L., and E.T. Hibbs. 1967. Response of Empoasca fabae to tomatine, solanine, leptine 1, tomatidine, soladine and demissidine. 10. Defago, G. 1977. R61e des saponines dans la resistance des planes aux maladies fongiques. Ber. Schweitz. Bot. Ges. 87:79-132. 11. Defago, G., K.F. Memmen, and H. Hern. 1975. Influence du cholesterol et des saponines sur le pouvoir pathogene du Pythiumparoecandrum. Phytopath. Z. 83:167-184. 12. Dethier, V.G., L. Barton-Browne, and C.N. Smith. 1960. The designation of chemicals in terms of the responses they elicit from insects. J. Econ. Entomol. 53:134-136. 13. Fennah, R.G. 1950. Parasol ants, their life history and methods for their control. Proceedings of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad and Tobago. 17pp. 14. Frank, J.A., J.M. Wilson, and R.E. Webb. 1975. The relationship between glycoalkaloids and disease resistance in potatoes. Phytopath. 65:1045-1049. 15. Hbbell, S.P., and D.F. Wiemer. 1983. Host plant selection in an attine ant, in: P. Jaisson. Social insects in the tropics. Univ. Paris Nord. 2:133-154. 16. Kermarrec, A. 1980. Niveau de la contamination des chaines biologiques en Guadeloupe: pesticides et metaux lourds. Minister de 1'Environnement, INRA 97170 Petit-Bourg. 155pp. 17. Littledyke, M., andJ.M. Cherrett. 1976. Direct ingestion of plant sap from cut leaves by the leaf-cutting ants Atta cephalotes (L.) and Acromyrmex oc- tospinosus (Reich) Formicidae, Attin). Bull. Ent. Res. 66:205-217. 18. Littledyke M., andJ.M. Cherrett. 1978. Defence mechanisms in young and old leaves against cutting by the leaf-cutting ants Atta cephalotes (L.) and Acromyrmex octospinosus (Reich) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bull. Ent. Res. 68:263-271. 19. Maizel, J.V., H.J. Burkhardt, and H.K. Mitchell. 1964. Avenacin, an an- timicrobial substance isolated from Avena sativa. I. Isolation and antimicrobial ac- tivity. Biochemistry 3:424-426. 20. Munakata, K. 1975. Insect antifeeding substances in plant leaves. Pure Appl. Chem. 42:57-66. 21. Rockwood, L.L. 1976. Plant selection and foraging patterns in two species of leaf-cutting ants (Atta). Ecology 57:48-61. 22. Rockwood, L.L. 1977.Foraging patterns and plant selection in Costa Rican leaf-cutting ants. J. New York Entomol. Soc., 85:222-233. 23. Roddick, J.G. 1974. The steroidal glycoalcaloid alpha-tomatine. Phytochemistry 13:9-25. 24. Schlosser, E. 1971. Cyclamin, an antifungal resistance factor in cyclamen species. Acta Phytopath. Acad. Sci. Hung. 6:85-95. 25. Stradling, D.J. 1978. The influence of size on foraging in the ant, Atta cephalotes, and the effect of some plant defence mechanisms. Journal of Animal Ecology 47:173-188. 26. Stuckow, B., and I. Low. 1961. The effect of some solanum alkaloid glycosides on the potato beetle. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 4:133-142. 27. Tschesche, R., and G. Wulff. 1973. Chemie und Biologie der Saponine. Fortschr. Chem. org. Naturstoffe 30:462-606. 28. Vigeron, J.P. 1978. Substances antiappetantes d'origine naturelle. Ann. Zool. Ecol. Anim. 10:663-694. 29. Waller, D.A. 1982. Leaf-cutting ants and avoided plants : defenses against Atta texana attack. Oecologia 52:400-403. 30. Weber, N.A. 1972. Gardening ants : the Attines. Mem. Am. Phil. Soc. 92:1-146. PROCEEDINGS of the CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY-VOL. XX 106