Mutualistic relationships between the shield ant, Meranoplus bicolor (Guérin–Méneville) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and honeydew–producing hemipterans in guava plantation

Sociobiology

Intawat Burikam¹  Duangthip Kantha¹ 

[1] Kasetsart University

关键词: cotton aphid;    striped mealybug;    coccinellids;    syrphid fly;    Psidium guajava;   

DOI  :  

来源: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brazil

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT – Mutualistic relationship between the shield ant,Meranoplus bicolor(Guérin–Méneville), and two species of hemipteran,Aphis gossypiiGlover andFerrisia virgata(Cockerell), was investigated in an unsprayed guava plot at Kamphaeng Saen, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. The reciprocal benefits were observed in both field and laboratory studies.M. bicoloractivity coincided with peak seasonal activity of both hemipterans during June–August. We indicate two sets of support evidence inM. bicolorhoneydew preference: (i) statistically higher value of adjusted honeydew weight collected by ant worker fromA. gossypiicompared with that fromF. virgata( p –value = .005), and (ii) the higher value of the strength of effect (h 2= .62) in the total variance of multi-species association. We used two–group, ant–tended and ant–excluded, between–subject multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in order to show hemipteran benefits. Both hemipteran populations increased in the ant–tended treatment, together with lesser amounts of two species of coccinellids,Menochilus sexmaculatus(Fabricius) andCoccinella transversalisFabricius, and one species of syrphid fly,Pseudodorus clavatus(Fabricius), compared with the ant exclusion treatment ( p –value <.0005). The facultative mutualistic relationships ofM. bicolorand the two hemipteran species were evaluated.

【 授权许可】

Unknown