Open AccessDAMAGE TO SALTBUSH BY THE COCCID PULVINARIA MASKELLI OLLIFF, AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY AN ATTENDANT ANT
Author(s) -
Briese D. T.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
australian journal of entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1440-6055
pISSN - 1326-6756
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1982.tb01818.x
Subject(s) - biology , ant , predation , population , scale (ratio) , ecology , geography , environmental health , cartography , medicine
Following a build‐up in population of the saltbush scale Pulvinaria maskelli , the resulting damace caused to the saltbush Atriplex vesicaria was estimated to be a mean of 17% branches killed per bush. The attendant ant Iridomyrmex sp. affords a measure of protection to the scale against predators and climatic extremes, and so contributes to its damage potential.