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Ant fauna, pest damage and yield in relation to the density of weeds in coconut sites in Zanzibar, Tanzania
Author(s) -
Rapp G.,
Salum M. S.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0418.1995.tb01241.x
Subject(s) - biology , weed , pest analysis , biological pest control , fauna , agronomy , predator , pheidole , botany , ecology , hymenoptera , predation
The weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda Latr. attacks the coconut pest Pseudotheraptus wayi Brown. The big headed ant Pheidole megacephala Mayr is the most important enemy of O. longinoda. After the stop of weed control in a coconut site, the number of palms colonized by O. longinoda increased from 696 trees in April 1991 to 1776 palms in April 1992 because P. megacephala stopped attacking O. longinoda and started to forage on the weeds and bushes on the ground. From September 1991 until October 1992 60068 nuts were harvested. The control of P. megacephala with Amdro in a neighbouring plot of the same size was less effective because the initial colonization by O. longinoda in the plot was much lower. These palms produced 28 413 nuts less. It is concluded that reduced weed control can enhance O. longinoda.