Bulletin of Entomological Research (1995) 85, 279-284
R.K. Peng, K. Christian and K. Gibb (1995)
The effect of the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), on insect pests of cashew trees in Australia
Bulletin of Entomological Research 85 (2), 279-284
Abstract: The influence of green ants, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius), on insect pests of cashew, Anacardium occidentale Linnaeus, in tropical northern Australia was investigated using field surveys and field observations. Oecophylla smaragdina was abundant in the native vegetation of the area, and it was a dominant predator when found in cashew plantations. Oecophylla smaragdina significantly reduced the numbers of the four most important species of insect pests (Helopeltis pernicialis Stonedahl, Malipatil and Houston, Penicillaria jocosatrix (Guenée), Amblypelta lutescens (Distant) and Anigraea ochrobasis Hampson) on cashew trees, and trees with higher numbers of O. smaragdina produced higher quality nuts than trees with fewer numbers of O. smaragdina. Other ant species also reduced pest numbers, but not as much as O. smaragdina. The possibility of using O. smaragdina to control insect pests of cashew in the future is discussed.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation
