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Determination and management of weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), marks on mango fruit in the Northern Territory of Australia

Peng, Renkang K. and Christian, Keith A. (2009). Determination and management of weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), marks on mango fruit in the Northern Territory of Australia. International Journal of Pest Management,55(1):27-30.

Document type: Journal Article
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Title Determination and management of weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), marks on mango fruit in the Northern Territory of Australia
Author Peng, Renkang K.
Christian, Keith A.
Journal Name International Journal of Pest Management
Publication Date 2009
Volume Number 55
Issue Number 1
ISSN 0967-0874   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
Start Page 27
End Page 30
Total Pages 4
Publisher Taylor and Francis Ltd
Field of Research AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DEST)
Abstract Weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius), can be used to manage insect pests in mango orchards in the Northern Territory of Australia, but previously unidentified black marks on fruit can reduce fruit marketability. To determine the cause of the marks, and to reduce the number of fruits by such marks, field experiments were conducted in three mango orchards in the Darwin area of Australia in 2001 and 2002. The results from netting bag-rearing showed that the black marks on fruit were due to the deposition of weaver ant formic acid, and fighting between weaver ant colonies was the major cause of the deposition. In treatments without isolation of weaver ant colonies, an average of 4.8% of fruits with the ant marks were downgraded, and this damage level was reduced to 2.1% in treatments with isolation of weaver ant colonies. Because of weaver ant foraging behaviour, this small proportion of downgraded fruits was unavoidable, but the benefits of the ants as biocontrol agents against a range of pests outweighs the cost of the damage the ants cause.
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09670870802450227   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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Created: Tue, 02 Jun 2009, 13:52:44 CST by Sarena Wegener