Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T03:51:47.373Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of Dolichoderus thoracicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on losses due to Helopeltis theivora (Heteroptera: Miridae), black pod disease, and mammalian pests in cocoa in Malaysia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

K.C. Khoo  and
C.T. Ho
K.C. Khoo*
Affiliation:
Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
C.T. Ho
Affiliation:
Golden Hope Plantations, Berhad Prang Besar Research Station, Kajang, Malaysia
*
Dr K.C. Khoo, Department of Plant Protection, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Malaysia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The influence of the black cocoa ant Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith) on losses due to the mirid Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse, black pod disease (caused by Phytophthora palmivora (Peronosporales)) and mammalian pests (rats, squirrels and civet cats) was studied over a two-year period in two separate fields of cocoa. Both fields initially had high D. thoracicus activity. In each field, ant-scarce plots were created by treating these plots with insecticides; ant-abundant plots existed where the plots were left untreated. An abundance of D. thoracicus clearly had a negative effect on numbers of mirids, with respectively 380 and 2222% more nymphs and adults being recorded in the ant-scarce than in the ant-abundant plots over the two-year period. An abundance of D. thoracicus did not increase black pod incidence: on the contrary it reduced incidence of the disease in both fields. The number of rat-damaged pods in ant-scarce plots was significantly higher than in ant-abundant plots in one of the fields but no significant difference was detected in the other. Regarding number of pods lost to squirrels and civet cats, no significant difference between ant-scarce and ant-abundant plots was obtained for both fields; the losses to either of these mammalian pests were extremely low. The number of healthy ripe pods in ant-abundant plots was 40.4 and 32.1% higher than in ant-scarce plots in the two fields, these increases being ascribed to protection from H. theivora damage by D. thoracicus.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 82 , Issue 4 , December 1992 , pp. 485 - 491
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ang, B.N. (1988) The cocoa black ant-mealybug relationship: artificial establishment of Cataenococcus hispidus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) on cocoa. 105 pp. Master of Agricultural Science Thesis, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia.Google Scholar
Bakri, A.H., Asid, M. & Redshaw, M.J. (1986) Pemberantasan Helopeltis secara terpadu dengan penggunaan semut hitam dan bahan kimia pada tanaman coklat di Sumatera Utara. (Using black ants and chemicals in an integrated approach to control Helopeltis in cocoa in North Sumatra.) Temu Ilmiah Entomologi Perkebunan Indonesia, Medan, 1986, 11 pp.Google Scholar
Beattie, A.J., Turnbull, C., Knox, R.B. & Williams, E.G. (1984) Ant inhibition of pollen function: a possible reason why ant pollination is rare. American Journal of Botany 71, 421–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beattie, A.J., Turnbull, C., Hough, T., Jobson, S. & Knox, R.B. (1985) The vulnerability of pollen and fungal spores to ant secretions: evidence and some evolutionary implications. American Journal of Botany 72, 606–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beattie, A.J., Turnbull, C.L., Hough, T. & Knox, R.B. (1986) Antibiotic production: a possible function for the metapleural glands of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 79, 448–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cavill, G.W.K. & Robertson, P.L.. (1965) Ant venoms, attractants, and repellents. Science 149, 1337–1345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, H.C. (1973) Invertebrate vectors of Phytophthora palmivora, causing black pod disease of cocoa in Ghana. Annals of Applied Biology 75, 331–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernando, H.E. & Manickavasagar, P. (1956) Economic damage and control of the cacao capsid, Helopeltis sp. (Fam. Capsidae, ord. Hemiptera) in Ceylon. Tropical Agriculturist 112, 25–36.Google Scholar
Giesberger, G. (1983) Biological control of the Helopeltis pest of cocoa in Java. pp. 91–180in Toxopeus, H. & Wessel, P.C. (Eds) Cocoa research in Indonesia 1900–1950, Volume Two. Wageningen, American Cocoa Research Institute and International Office of Cocoa and Chocolate.Google Scholar
Gorenz, A.M. (1970) Spread of Phytophthora pod rot from the tree base to pods in the canopy. Annual Report of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, 1968–1969, 53–54.Google Scholar
Ho, C.T. (1991) The importance of mealybugs and colony compatibility in augmentation of Dolichoderus thoracicus (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) populations in cocoa. 207 pp. Master of Agricultural Science Thesis, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia.Google Scholar
Hölldobler, B.. & Wilson, E.O. (1990) The ants. 732 pp. Berlin, Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iwanami, Y. & Iwadare, T. (1978) Inhibiting effects of myrmicacin on pollen growth and pollen tube mitosis. Botanical Gazette 139, 42–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kamarudin, K.A.. & Lee, C.H. (1981) Modes of cocoa pod depredation by three small mammals. MARDI Research Bulletin 9, 42–48.Google Scholar
Khoo, K.C. & Chung, G.F. (1989) Use of the black cocoa ant to control mirid damage in cocoa. The Planter, Kuala Lumpur 65, 370–383.Google Scholar
McGregor, A.J. & Moxon, J.E. (1985) Potential for biological control of tent building species of ants associated with Phytophthora palmivora pod rot of cocoa in Papua New Guinea. Annals of Applied Biology 107, 271–277.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakamura, S., Miki-Hirosige, H. & Iwanami, Y. (1982) Ultrastructural study of Camellia japonica pollen treated with myrmicacin, an ant-origin inhibitor. American Journal of Botany 69, 538–545.Google Scholar
Newhook, F.J. & Jackson, G.V.H. (1977) Phytophthora palmivora in cocoa plantation soils in the Solomon Islands. Transactions of the British Mycological Society 69, 31–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okaisabor, E.K. (1971) The mechanism of initiation of Phytophthora pod rot epiphytotics. Proceedings of the 3rd International Cocoa Research Conference, Accra 1969, 398–404.Google Scholar
Stonedahl, G.M. (1991) The Oriental species of Helopeltis (Heteroptera: Miridae): a review of economic literature and guide to identification. Bulletin of Entomological Research 81, 465–490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorold, C.A. (1952) Airborne dispersal of Phytophthora palmivora, causing black-pod disease of Theobroma cacao. Nature, London 170, 718.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Way, M.J. (1963) Mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing Homoptera. Annual Review of Entomology 8, 307–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Way, M.J.. & Khoo, K.C. (1989) Relationships between Helopeltis theobromae damage and ants with special reference to Malaysian cocoa smallholdings. Journal of Plant Protection in the Tropics 6, 1–11.Google Scholar
Way, M.J. & Khoo, K.C. (1991) Colony dispersion and nesting habits of the ants, Dolichoderus thoracicus and Oecophylla smaragdina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in relation to their success as biological control agents on cocoa. Bulletin of Entomological Research 81, 341–350.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Way, M.J. & Khoo, K.C. (1992) Role of ants in pest management. Annual Review of Entomology 37, 479–503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitten, A.J. (1982) The role of ants in selection of night trees by gibbons. Biotropica 14, 237–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, A.M. (1986) Cocoa pollination. Cocoa Growers’ Bulletin No. 37, 5–23.Google Scholar