Mutualistic Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Associated with Paracoccus ficus in Fig Orchards of Fars Province, Iran

Document Type : Short Research

Authors

1 Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Ahwaz

3 Researcher, Fig Research Station, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (Areeo), Estahban, Iran

4 Researcher, Insect Taxonomy Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Ants are the most ubiquitous insects on the earth with more than 12000 species which are classified into 21 subfamilies. Until now, more than 170 ant species have recorded in Iran. Mutualistic relationship between ants and scale insects have been reported in Iran. Such relationships between ants and insects are known as trophobiosis which is due to attraction of ants to honeydew of scale insects. Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. Ants provide protection from predators and parasitoids by building shelters around scale insect colonies. Such a relationship is mostly facultative and only a few taxa of mostly tropical or subtropical scale insects have obligate mutualism with ants. The coccoids with obligate mutualism display obvious behavioral and morphological adaptations for living with ants. Ants are also able to establish antagonistic interaction with honeydew-producing hemipterans and contribute positively to biological control by the suppression of pests.
Materials and Methods: In a study during 2013-2014, colonies of the mealybug Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam, 2014 were investigated for mutualistic ants feeding on honeydew of the mealybug in fig orchards of Neyriz, Estahban and Shiraz cities of Fars province, South Iran. Samples were collected by hand, forceps and soft brush. The specimens were preserved in 75% alcohol in small glass vials and were transferred to the laboratory. The morphological keys were used for identification. Specimens were deposited in Insect and Mite Collection of Ahvaz, at Department of Plant Protection, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.
Results and Discussion: Totally, 6 species belonging to 3 subfamilies of ants were identified as follows:
Myrmicinae: Monomorium abeillei Andre, 1881; Tetramorium sp.; Pheidole pallidula Nylander, 1849; Crematogaster antaris Forel, 1894; Formicinae: Cataglyphis lividus Andre, 1881; Dolichoderinae: Tapinoma simrothi Krausse, 1911.
Among collected species, T. simrothi and P. pallidula were more frequent. T. simrothi has also recorded as most frequent mutualistic ants with aphids in Central Iran. Natural enemies exploit hemipterans which receive ant protection for their benefit. For example, some parasitoid wasps soliciting honeydew directly from aphids by antennation and mimicking ants during foraging in host patches. Researchers believe that preventing ants from colonies of Pseudococcidae scale insects is necessary for success in biological control of such pests. However, not all of ants have negative effects in biological control of pests. Predatory ants are less attracted to the honeydew and mostly feed on egg, larvae and adult insects. Moreover, some ants are important in pollination, soil improvement, and nutrient cycling.  
Conclusion: Behavioral and ecological should be carried on ants in pest management programs, and only if they have a negative influence on biological control of scale insects, then perform control measures for ants.

Keywords

Main Subjects


1- Asadeh Gh. 1991. The fauna of Khuzestan’s Pseudococcus spp. and their parasitoids and predators. MSc thesis, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. (In Persian)
2- Collingwood C.A., and Agosti D. 1996. Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of Saudi Arabia (Part 2). Fauna of Saudi Arabia, 15:300-385.
3- Delabie J.H.C. 2001. Trophobiosis between Formicidae and Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha): an Overview. Neotropical Entomology 30(4): 501-516.
4- Dezhakam M., and Soleyman-Nejadian E. 2002. Fauna of symbiotic ants with the southern mealybug Nipaecoccus viridis New. (Hom: Pseudococcidae), on citrus in Khuzestan. Scientific Journal of Agriculture 24(2): 75-100. (In Persian)
5- Gullan P.J., and Kosztarab M. 1997. Adaptations in scale insects. Annual Review of Entomology 42: 23–50.
6- Hölldobler B. and Wilson E.O. 1990. The ants. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
7- Moghaddam M., and Esfandiari M. 2014. A new species of the genus Paracoccus (Hem.: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) from Iran. Journal of Entomological Society of Iran 34(3): 57-61.
8- Mohammadi Sh., Mossadegh M.S., and Esfandiari M. 2012. Eight ant species (Hym: Formicidae) new for the fauna of Iran. Munis Entomology and Zoology 7(2): 847-851.
9- Mortazavi Z.S., Sadeghi H., Aktac N., Depa L., and Fekrat L. 2015. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their aphid partners (Homoptera: Aphididae) in Mashhad region, Razavi Khorasan Province, with new records of aphids and ant species for Fauna of Iran. Halteres 6: 4-12.
10- Mossadegh M.S., Esfandiari M., and Heidari Z. 2008. The relationship effects of symbiotic ants on biological control of Nipaecoccus viridis (New.) by Cryptolaemus montrouzier (Mul.) in citrus orchards of North Khuzestan. Proceedings of the 18th Iranian Plant Protection Congress, Hamedan, p. 36.
11- Paknia O., Radchenko A.G., Alipanah H., and Pfeiffer M. 2008. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Iran. Myrmecological News 11: 151-159.
12- Rasekh A., Kharazi Pakdel A., Allahyari H., Michaud J.P., and Farhadi R. 2011. The Effect of hunger on foraging behavior of an aphid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) on Aphis fabae Scopoli. Iranian Journal of Plant Protection Science 41(2): 261-270. (In Persian)
13- Sanchez J.A., Lopez-Gallego E., and La-Spina M. 2020. The impact of ant mutualistic and antagonistic interactions on the population dynamics of sap‐sucking hemipterans in pear orchards. Pest Management Science 76(4): 1422-1434.
14- Shiran E., Mossadegh M.S., and Esfandiari M. 2013. Mutualistic ants (Hymemnoptera: Formicidae) associated with aphids in central and southwestern parts of Iran. Journal of Crop Protection 2(1): 1-12.
15- Stedler B., and Dixon A.F.G. 2008. Mutualism Ants and their Insect Partners. Cambridge University Press. New York.
16- Way M.J., and Khoo K.C. 1992. Role of ants in pest management. Annual Review of Entomology 37: 479-503.
17- Ward P.S. 2007. Phylogeny, classification and species-level taxonomy of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 1668: 549-563.
CAPTCHA Image