Natural biological control of the pine processionary moth <i>Thaumetopoea pityocampa</i> (Den. &amp; Schiff.) by the Argentine ant <i>Linepithema humile</i> (Mayr) in Portugal

Way, M. J.; Paiva, Maria Rosa; Cammell, M. E.

doi:10.1046/j.1461-9563.1999.00005.x

Cited by 25 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 14 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Room 1972;Bach 1991;Fernandes et al 2005) or that did not demonstrate a positive correlation between hemipteran density and ant density on plants (e.g. Way et al 1999;Perry et al 2004). We think it is important to note that out of the 30 studies reviewed here, 21 studies (70%) utilized either antexclusion manipulations (nZ19 studies) or natural variation in the presence and absence of ants on plants (nZ2 studies; table 1).…”

Section: Effects Of Ant-hemipteran Interactions On Host Plant Damage mentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Messina 1981;Renault et al 2005), vines, shrubs and trees (e.g. Floate & Whitham 1994;Rico-Gray & Castro 1996;Way et al 1999). In a study of the ant community in the Amazonian rainforest canopy, Blü thgen et al (2000) recorded ant-hemipteran associations on 20 out of 24 tree genera (in 15 tree families) and on 41 out of 66 individual trees surveyed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Interactions between ants and honeydew-producing hemipteran insects are abundant and widespread in arthropod food webs, yet their ecological consequences are very poorly known. Ant–hemipteran interactions have potentially broad ecological effects, because the presence of honeydew-producing hemipterans dramatically alters the abundance and predatory behaviour of ants on plants. We review several studies that investigate the consequences of ant–hemipteran interactions as ‘keystone interactions’ on arthropod communities and their host plants. Ant–hemipteran interactions have mostly negative effects on the local abundance and species richness of several guilds of herbivores and predators. In contrast, out of the 30 studies that document the effects of ant–hemipteran interactions on plants, the majority (73%) shows that plants actually benefit indirectly from these interactions. In these studies, increased predation or harassment of other, more damaging, herbivores by hemipteran-tending ants resulted in decreased plant damage and/or increased plant growth and reproduction. The ecological consequences of mutualistic interactions between honeydew-producing hemipterans and invasive ants relative to native ants have rarely been studied, but they may be of particular importance owing to the greater abundance, aggressiveness and extreme omnivory of invasive ants. We argue that ant–hemipteran interactions are largely overlooked and underappreciated interspecific interactions that have strong and pervasive effects on the communities in which they are embedded.

show abstract

Section: Effects Of Ant-hemipteran Interactions On Host Plant Damage mentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This study demonstrates that focusing only on the displacement of ground-dwelling arthropod fauna may lead to an underestimate of the effects of an invasive ant on its adopted community. Moreover, several studies (Styrsky and Eubanks 2007), some with native (Messina 1981, Perfecto andVandermeer 2006) and at least one with invasive ants (Way et al 1999), have reported that ants tending hemipterans sometimes deter herbivores and result in a net benefit or by-product mutualism (Yu 2001) for the plant. To my knowledge this is the first study to report a by-product parasitism of Hemipteratending by an invasive ant.…”

Section: Effects On Floral Arthropods Seed Set and Ovule Predationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mutualism With a Native Membracid Facilitates Pollinator Displacement by Argentine Ants

Lach

2007

Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. The loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services are major threats posed by the spread of alien invasive species. Invasive ants are frequently associated with declines in the diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods but also may affect plants through their attraction to floral nectar and tending of hemipterans. Protea nitida is a tree native to the South African fynbos that hosts a native membracid, Beaufortiana sp., which is tended by ants. Here I compare Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) to native ants in their attraction to P. nitida inflorescences in the presence and absence of the membracid, and their effects on other floral arthropod visitors, seed set, and ovule predation. Argentine ant discovery of inflorescences increased at least 13-fold when membracids were present on the branch, whereas native ant discovery of inflorescences was only doubled by membracid presence at one site in one study year and was unaffected in the other three site-years. Excluding Argentine ants from inflorescences resulted in an increase in several arthropod taxa and potential pollinators; native ant exclusion had no positive effects. Thus the mutualism between Argentine ants and the membracid is facilitating pollinator deterrence by the ants. Though Argentine ants were not associated with a decline in P. nitida seed set or ovule predation, declines in generalist insect pollinators may have ramifications for the 83% of fynbos plants that are insect pollinated. Pitfall traps showed that Argentine ants were not more abundant than native ants in non-invaded sites. Focusing only on abundance on the ground and displacement of grounddwelling arthropod fauna may lead to an underestimate of the effects of invasive ants on their adopted communities.

show abstract

“…Ants are known predators of insect eggs (Rossi & Fowler, 2000;Van Mele & Cuc, 2000, 2001Way et al ., 1992Way et al ., , 1999. However, their action was not always beneficial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ants as predators of the egg parasitoidTrichogramma cacoeciae(Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) applied for biological control of the olive moth,Prays oleae(Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in Portugal

Pereira¹,

Bento²,

Cabanas³

et al. 2004

Biocontrol Science and Technology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The detrimental effect of predators on Trichogramma cacoeciae March. releases to control the olive moth, Prays oleae Bern., in the Trás-os-Montes region (Northeast of Portugal), was evaluated during three releases against the flower generation of the pest in 2002. At 1 and 3 h and at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after each release, 30 Trichogramma releasing cards were examined in the field and predators were collected and identified. Furthermore, at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after each release, the percentage of egg predation on the cards was also determined. Formicidae were the most abundant group of predators at 99.1% of the total individuals collected. Ten species were identified, Camponotus aethiops, C. lateralis, C. piceus, C. truncatus, Crematogaster auberti, C. scutellaris, Lasius niger, Leptotorax angustulus, Plagiolephis pygmaea and Tapinoma nigerrimum. T. nigerrimum was the most abundant species, both in total numbers as well as in the number of occupied cards. One day after release, the percentage of predation was 24.0% in the first release, 59.4% in the second and 38.0% in the third. Three days after release, the percentage of predation varied from 60.2 to 83.4% during the three release events. Seven days after release, the percentage of predation increased to 97.8% of the total eggs on cards.

show abstract

Natural biological control of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. & Schiff.) by the Argentine ant Linepithema humile (Mayr) in Portugal

Cited by 25 publications

References 14 publications

Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects

Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects

A Mutualism With a Native Membracid Facilitates Pollinator Displacement by Argentine Ants

Ants as predators of the egg parasitoidTrichogramma cacoeciae(Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) applied for biological control of the olive moth,Prays oleae(Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in Portugal

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About