Ant cues affect the oviposition behaviour of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Africa

Abstract

Although most studies on fruit fly oviposition behaviour focus on horizontal interactions with competitors and cues from host plants, vertical interactions with predators are poorly documented. The present study provides direct evidence indicating that the oviposition behaviour of the two main mango fruit fly species, Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) and Bactrocera invadens Drew-Tsurata & White, is affected by secretions of the dominant arboreal ant Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille). When offered ant-exposed and unexposed mangoes in the absence of the ants, both fly species are reluctant to land on ant-exposed fruits and, when having landed, often take off quickly and fail to oviposit. The number of puparia collected from unexposed mangoes is approximately eight-fold higher than from ant-exposed ones. The results obtained from laboratory experiments and field observations confirm that adult fruit flies are more affected through repellence by ant cues than by direct predation. The use of cues by fruit flies in predator avoidance has implications for evolutionary ecology, behavioural ecology and chemical ecology.

Seeing is believing: information content and behavioural response to visual and chemical cues

“…For instance, it has been reported that chemical cues from O. smaragdina deter fruit flies from ovipositing in mangoes on which ants have patrolled [42], and that social bees mark with alarm signals flowers where they have been attacked by a predator [21]. Visual cues also trigger predator avoidance in bees.…”

Effect of Formica aserva Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on ground dwelling arthropods in central British Columbia.

“…These behavioural patterns may support the findings of other studies that have found negative associations between ants and some carabids (Niemela et al, 1992;Koivula et al, 1999;Reznikova & Dorosheva, 2004;McColl, 2010). Our findings are also in agreement with other studies that have found that some insects are able to perceive and respond to signals o f ant presence (Offenberg et al, 2004;Oliver et al, 2008;Van Mele et al, 2009). …”

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

“…Most recently, the use the predatory African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille) has been advocated as a component for inclusion within fruit fly IPM programme in Africa; fruit damage can be reduced as a function of the ant abundance level (van Mele et al, 2007). Furthermore, studies by van Mele et al (2009) showed that semiochemicals deposited on mangoes by O. longinoda masked fruit attractancy and acted as strong avoidance cues, deterring fruit flies from ovipositing on mangoes where the ants had patrolled.…”