Coexistence of Aphid Predators in Cacao Plants: Does Ant-aphid Mutualism Play a Role?

Sociobiology

Ivette Perfecto¹  Evandro do Nascimento Silva² 

[1] University of Michigan;Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

关键词: arboreal ants;    biological control;    ant-natural enemies interactions;    spatial association;    Toxoptera aurantii;   

DOI  :  

来源: Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Brazil

【 摘 要 】

Mutualism between ants and hemipterans that produce honeydew has important implications for biological control because hemipterans defended against predators can reach economic injury levels. We tested the hypothesis that ant-aphid mutualism can mediate competition and promote the coexistence of aphid natural enemies. A quadrate in the field measuring 30 x 30 meters (10 plants in 10 rows = 100 plants) was established in a cacao plantation and a whole quadrate survey was carried out in vegetative shoot flushings from the trunk. The number of ants and predators, the identity of ant and natural enemy species and colony occupancy by ants were recorded. Spatial association indexes were used to evaluate the degree of overlap in ant-ant and ant-predator spatial distributions. The antCrematogaster victimaF. Smith was selected for a test on differences in its attack behavior against larvae of the syrphidOcyptamus antiphates(Walker) and a species of ladybird beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae). Five species of ants were found tending aphids more frequently and their level of spatial association was slightly negative with remarkable mutual exclusion from aphid colonies. Two of them,Cr. victimaandCr. erectaMayr, were potential defendants of aphids and were selected to study their spatial association with the distribution of natural enemies. It was found that spatial association between ants and aphid predators is slightly positive. The results suggest that the occurrence of attack behavior ofCr. victimaagainst syrphids, but not against coccinellids, can increase coexistence of predators by generating independent spatial distribution.

【 授权许可】

Unknown