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Colony dispersion and nesting habits of the ants, Dolichoderus thoracicus and Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in relation to their success as biological control agents on cocoa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

M. J. Way  and
K. C. Khoo
M. J. Way*
Affiliation:
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Silwood Park, UK
K. C. Khoo
Affiliation:
Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
*
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berks., SL5 7PY, UK.
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Abstract

In mixed cocoa-coconut palm plantations in Malaysia the palm spadices provide large, stable nesting sites for Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith) in contrast to impermanent sites on cocoa and on the ground. D. thoracicus and the arboreal leaf-nesting Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) both benefit from the mixed system which also provides a more stable food supply from honeydew-producing Homoptera. A scoring method showed that about 50–200 O. smaragdina or 200–2000 D. thoracicus on a cocoa tree can protect it effectively from Helopeltis theobromae Miller (Hemiptera: Miridae). The relatively greater efficiency of O. smaragdina as a biological control agent is associated with its actively dispersive predatory behaviour in contrast to the localized concentration of D. thoracicus workers at sites such as cocoa pods where it tends honeydew-producing Homoptera, and where it acts largely by deterring H. theobromae. Despite its biological control potential, the painfully biting O. smaragdina, unlike D. thoracicus, is normally considered unacceptable to plantation staff. Nevertheless it should be recognized as valuable in integrated pest management of cocoa pests especially where D. thoracicus is difficult to establish.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 81 , Issue 3 , September 1991 , pp. 341 - 350
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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