Ovipositional behaviour of two mango fruit fly species (Diptera Tephritidae) in relation to <i>Oecophylla</i> cues (Hymenoptera Formicidae) as compared to natural conditions without ant cues

Abstract

The tritrophic interactions between mangoes (Mangifera indica), two frugivorous fly species of great economic significance, Bactrocera invadens and Ceratitis cosyra, and weaver ants (Oecophylla longinoda) were studied in Benin. We investigated whether Oecophylla cues affect B. invadens and C. cosyra oviposition behaviour compared to natural conditions. Results show that on un-marked fruits, both C. cosyra and B. invadens adults have different active periods and length of oviposition, both under laboratory and field conditions. Compared to their landing on unmarked fruits at 7h after confinement, 46% of B. invadens refrained from landing on fruits marked with Oecophylla cues, while C. cosyra reduced its landing by 73%. In contrast to the un-marked fruit, both tephritid species significantly reduce oviposition duration and oviposited less in fruits when weaver ants had patrolled on them before. Moreover, no significant difference was detected between C. cosyra and B. invadens, in number of pupae produced, when confined with ant-marked fruits. Ecological and behavioural implications of our observations are discussed.

Ants: Major Functional Elements in Fruit Agro-Ecosystems and Biological Control Agents

“…The repellent phenomenon occurs via a chemical or visual signal that wards off pests from the territories patrolled by O. longinoda. Some research has shown that O. longinoda causes a repellent reaction against fruit flies responsible for major production losses [111,112,123]. Although the mechanisms brought into play in the repellent phenomenon exerted by O. longinoda have not been widely documented, they would nonetheless seem to be linked to pheromone signals that are perceived by insect pests.…”

“…Some laboratory tests showed that fruit flies greatly reduced the frequency of their visits to fruits exposed to weaver ants [109,124]. The repellent action of O. longinoda against highly mobile pests such as fruit flies is backed up by the hypothesis of the emission of chemical pheromones that the latter can perceive and to which they react by moving away [125] or even by a change in their egg-laying behavior, reducing the time spent laying eggs [108][109][110]123]. This repellent phenomenon thus appears to limit the damage caused by fruit flies on trees occupied by weaver ants.…”

“…Nevertheless, this issue calls for some more research work to encourage the adoption of weaver ants as biological control agents in orchards, particularly as none of the practices used by farmers have been scientifically assessed to date. Benin [110,111,123], Ghana [15] and Tanzania [119,128] are of great importance from a socio-economic viewpoint for farmers who often have very limited resources. The management of the Oecophylla has been well documented by Van Mele and Cuc [100] who summarized the easiest ways and practices to support their populations in orchards.…”

Molecular identification of acetic acid bacteria isolated from fermented mango juices of Burkina Faso: 16S rRNA gene sequencing

“…However, factors such as: lack of control over harvesting, packaging and storage standards, poor road infrastructure, poor commercialized on the local market and inadequacy of processing infrastructures, inflict enormous losses which handicap this sector. The resulting annual losses are estimated at about 30-40% of mango production (Ngamo et al, 2010;Vayssieres et al, 2013). However, mango is a substrat rich in fermentable substances sugars.…”

Grower Perception of the Significance of Weaver Ants as a Fruit Fly Deterrent in Tanzanian Smallholder Mango Production

“…The effect may be due to chemical deposits left by the ants on leaves and fruits (as yet unidentified) that can have a repellent effect on fruit flies (Adandonon, Vayssieres, Sinzogan & Van Mele, 2009;Van Mele, Vayssieres, Adandonon & Sinzogan, 2009;Vayssieres, Sinzogan, Adandonon, Van Mele & Korie, 2013), together with anecdotal evidence suggesting that the visual sighting of ants by the flies can disturb oviposition.…”