African weaver ant-produced semiochemicals impact on foraging behaviour and parasitism by the Opiine parasitoid, Fopius arisanus on Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Appiah, E. F.; Ekesi, Sunday; Afreh-Nuamah, K.; Obeng‐Ofori, D.; Mohamed, Samira A.

doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2014.08.004

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…Distance between host fruits and their fructification periods additionally affect fruit fly population level . The presence of, for example, predatory ants and invasive fruit flies potentially affects fruit fly parasitism and fruit fly infestation ( Van M el e et al, 2009;Appiah et al, 2014;Migani et al, 2017). Fopius caudatus emerges from some of the known C. cosyra host fruits (Vayssi eres et al, 2010b(Vayssi eres et al, , 2012 and high infestation level and high F. caudatus parasitism were observed in presence of shea tree, V. paradoxa, from which both C. cosyra and F. caudatus emerge (Vayssi eres et al, 2010b).…”

Section: Abiotic Factors: Climate and Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another biotic factor that might affect both C. cosyra and F. caudatus is the presence of other competing fruit flies and natural enemies. The presence of, for example, predatory ants and invasive fruit flies potentially affects fruit fly parasitism and fruit fly infestation (Van M el e et al, 2009;Appiah et al, 2014;Migani et al, 2017).…”

Section: Abiotic Factors: Climate and Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat factors associated with Fopius caudatus parasitism and population level of its host, Ceratitis cosyra

Sambo

Togbé

Sinzogan

et al. 2019

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Biotic and abiotic factors affect herbivores and their natural enemies and understanding of their requirements may permit habitat modification enabling conservation biological control. Ceratitis cosyra Walker (Diptera: Tephritidae), an African-native fruit fly pest is mostly parasitized by the parasitoid wasp Fopius caudatus Sz epligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). To assess F. caudatus habitat, the wasp parasitism levels and infestation of its fruit fly host were examined in Sarcocephalus latifolius (Smith) Bruce (Rubiaceae), a shrub of which the fruits are among the preferred hosts of C. cosyra and F. caudatus. Fruit-collection site descriptions, including plant species presence, were analysed in relation to the target insect abundances (emergence from target fruit). Ceratitis cosyra and F. caudatus emerged from all sites; nonetheless, their population levels were associated with both abiotic and biotic factors, of which some can be manipulated. Several factors, such as cultivation level, topography, and vegetation coverage, were correlated with F. caudatus parasitism. Ceratitis cosyra infestation level was correlated with factors such as density of S. latifolius, vegetation cover, cultivation practices, temperature, altitude, rainfall pattern, and stoniness. Proximity to other fruit fly host plants correlated with both pest abundance and F. caudatus parasitism level of the fruit fly. The findings that insects' interactions and abundance are influenced by habitat structure and that parasitism is positively related to natural habitat indicates the importance of maintaining natural habitats in closeness to cultivated areas with the aim of enhancing pest suppression by parasitoids. Further studies should attempt to identify how plant species composition in and around orchards could affect the management of tephritid fruit fly pests.

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Section: Abiotic Factors: Climate and Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Abiotic Factors: Climate and Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat factors associated with Fopius caudatus parasitism and population level of its host, Ceratitis cosyra

Sambo

Togbé

Sinzogan

et al. 2019

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…Although ants are excellent natural predators and can be used as biological controls for some pests as described above, virtually all ant species that prey on insect pests also possess some potential disadvantages [ 34 ]. For example, recent reviews have demonstrated that O. longinoda and other ant species are relatively indiscriminant, omnivorous predators that attack beneficial insects in addition to pests and may play a key role in reducing the efficacy of some natural enemies in several agro-ecosystems [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Oecophylla longinoda , in particular, is highly aggressive and strongly predaceous, using their considerable strength and cooperative ability to capture a wide range of insect prey that venture onto their colonies, spread over large territories on canopies of host trees [ 39 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antagonistic Interactions between the African Weaver Ant Oecophylla longinoda and the Parasitoid Anagyrus pseudococci Potentially Limits Suppression of the Invasive Mealybug Rastrococcus iceryoides

Tanga

Ekesi

Govender

et al. 2015

Insects

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The ant Oecophylla longinoda Latreille forms a trophobiotic relationship with the invasive mealybug Rastrococus iceryoides Green and promotes the latter’s infestations to unacceptable levels in the presence of their natural enemies. In this regard, the antagonistic interactions between the ant and the parasitoid Anagyrus pseudococci Girault were assessed under laboratory conditions. The percentage of parasitism of R. iceryoides by A. pseudococci was significantly higher on “ant-excluded” treatments (86.6% ± 1.27%) compared to “ant-tended” treatments (51.4% ± 4.13%). The low female-biased sex-ratio observed in the “ant-tended” treatment can be attributed to ants’ interference during the oviposition phase, which disrupted parasitoids’ ability to fertilize eggs. The mean foraging time, host handling time and number of successful oviposition in “ant-excluded” treatment were significantly higher compared to “ant-tended” treatments. When ant workers were allowed access to sterilized sand grains, mummified and unmummified R. iceryoides, they selectively removed the mummified mealybugs, indicating that they recognized the mummies as potential foods (1.2 ± 0.46 to 7.8 ± 1.17 mummies at 10 min intervals for 2 h). Percentage emergence from mummified R. iceryoides removed by the ants was significantly lower compared to emergence from mummies not exposed to ants. Although, host seeking parasitoids frequently evaded attacks, some were killed by the foraging ant workers (2.0 ± 0.38 to 6.0 ± 0.88 at 10 min intervals for 2 h). These results suggest for the first time that the presence of O. longinoda has a detrimental effect on the abundance, reproductive success and possibly oviposition strategy of female parasitoids, which might be a delimiting factor in field conditions if both natural enemies are to be recommended for use within the same agro-ecosystem.

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“…The literature also includes many instances of weaver ants feeding on predatory insects (e.g., Vayssieres et al, 2015), including deterring predatory mantids (Ramesh et al, 2016), other beneficial ants (Philpott and Armbrecht, 2006), and parasitoid wasps (Mathews et al, 2011;Appiah et al, 2014; Figure 5A). Weaver ants have also been observed deterring and capturing several pollinator species (Tsuji et al, 2004;Gonzalvez et al, 2013;Rodriguez-Girones et al, 2013; Figure 5C).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weaver Ants Provide Ecosystem Services to Tropical Tree Crops

2019

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Generalist predators bring a complex mix of beneficial and harmful effects to agroecosystems. When these predators feed on herbivorous pests, biological control is improved with the potential to increase crop yield. However, generalists often feed on predators, pollinators, and plants, which might worsen pest outbreaks and reduce fruit set. For example, weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina) are major predators of several key, economically-damaging pest insects of tropical fruit and nut crops. Yet the ants also attack other predatory arthropods and important pollinators, while tending trophobiont honeydew producers like mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) that are themselves pests. Finally, ants will supplement their diet with sugars from floral and extrafloral nectaries, a form of plant feeding that presumably carries a physiological cost to the plant. Here, across previously-published experimental studies that compared treatments where ants were present vs. excluded, we summarize the effects of weaver ants on beneficial and pest insects and tree-crop productivity. Our quantitative review revealed nearly ubiquitous benefits of Oecophylla ants for tropical agriculture. Treatments with ants present generally showed lower pest densities and damage from pest insects in the families Coreidae, Miridae, Pentatomidae, and Tephritidae. Pest reduction was seen on cacao (Theobroma cacao), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), and mango (Mangifera indica) trees. The single exception to these pest reductions occurred when ants facilitated the population growth of mealybugs and other honeydew producers. In general, we found that Oecophylla ants provided the valuable ecosystem service of natural pest control to a diversity of tropical tree crops. Despite the potential for the ants to harm other predators or pollinators, evidence for these ecosystem disservices was rare and other beneficial insects co-exist well with this group of ants. Our findings bolster the general finding that ant species that tend herbivores who are not themselves pests can provide broad-reaching benefits to plant productivity. More generally, our findings are consistent with the many cases where non-pest prey bolster densities of polyphagous predators with benefits for biological control despite some degree of plant feeding by the predators.

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African weaver ant-produced semiochemicals impact on foraging behaviour and parasitism by the Opiine parasitoid, Fopius arisanus on Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Cited by 24 publications

References 44 publications

Habitat factors associated with Fopius caudatus parasitism and population level of its host, Ceratitis cosyra

Habitat factors associated with Fopius caudatus parasitism and population level of its host, Ceratitis cosyra

Antagonistic Interactions between the African Weaver Ant Oecophylla longinoda and the Parasitoid Anagyrus pseudococci Potentially Limits Suppression of the Invasive Mealybug Rastrococcus iceryoides

Weaver Ants Provide Ecosystem Services to Tropical Tree Crops

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