Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-m9kch Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-04T12:44:10.039Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Studies of the Life History and Ecology of the Ant Oecophylla longinoda Latreille

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

M. J. Way
M. J. Way
Affiliation:
Clove Research Scheme, Zanzibar.*
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In British East Africa Oecophylla longinoda (Latr.) var. textor Santschi is locally common in the costal region. Inland it is absent from higher altitudes and from areas where there is a pronounced dry season.

In Zanzibar Island, O. longinoda at least 89 species of trees and shurbs; the largest populations occur on the clove (Jambosa caryophyllus), Citrus spp., Bridelia micrantha and Canthium zanzibaricum.

The nesting habits and colony composition of O. longinoda are such that one colony may spread over a number of adjacent trees; it contains only one gravid queen.

Winged virgin sexual forms are released at the beginning of the wet seasons and new colonies are initiated by a single queen, who uses her food reserves to bring the first batch of brood to maturity.

In Zanzibzr, O. longinoda tends a wide range of Homoptera that produce honey-dew, but apparently “ prefers ” certain Coccids, notably Saissetia spp.

The degree of attention afforded by an ant species determines the species of Homoptera which it is able to attend.

The insect species preyed upon by O. longinoda include the honey bee, Apis mellifera, and the driver ant, Dorylus nigricans, of which large numbers may be destroyed.

O. longinoda is of undoubted value for controlling certain coconut pests, notably Theraptus sp. (Coreidae), and its efficiency in coconut plantations could probably be much enhanced.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , March 1954 , pp. 93 - 112
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1954

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

*Bondar, G. (1922). As lendas e a verdade sobre a formiga cacarema da Bahia e seu papel na lavoura.—Chacaras e Quint., 26, pp. 369–371. (R.A.E., (A) 11, p. 90.)Google Scholar
*Bünzli, G. H. (1935). Untersuchungen über coccidophile Ameisen aus den Kaffeefeldern von Surinam.—Mitt. schweiz. ent. Ges., 16, pp. 453–593. (R.A.E., (A) 23, p. 679.)Google Scholar
Carpenter, G. D. H. (1920). A naturalist on Lake Victoria.—London, Fisher Unwin.Google Scholar
Corbett, G. H. (1937). Division of Entomology. Annual Report for 1936.—Gen. Ser. Dep. Agric. S.S. & F.M.S., no. 26, pp. 29–48.Google Scholar
Dodd, F. P. (1902). Notes on the Queensland green tree ants (Oecophylla smaragdina).—Vict. Nat., Melb., 18, pp. 136–142.Google Scholar
Doflein, F. (1905). Beobachtungen an den Weberameisen (Oecophylla smaragdina).—Biol. Cbl., 25, pp. 497–507.Google Scholar
Friederichs, K. (1920). Weberameisen und Pflanzenschutz.—Tropenflanzer, 23, pp. 142–150.Google Scholar
Garcia, C. E. (1935). A field study on the Citrus Green Bug, Rhynchocoris serratus Donovan.—Phillipp. J. Agric., 6, pp. 311–325.Google Scholar
Garcia, C. E. (1939). The Citrus Rind Borer and its control.—Phillipp. J. Agric., 10, pp. 89–92.Google Scholar
*Groff, G. W. & Howard, C. W. (1925). The cultured citrus ant of South China.—Lingnaam agric. Rev., 2, pp. 108–114. (R.A.E., (A) 13, p. 227.)Google Scholar
Ghesquière, J. (1939). Un capside myrmécoïde nuisible au caféier.—Rev. Zool. Bot. afr., 33, pp. 30–32.Google Scholar
Hingston, R. W. G. (1927). The habits of Oecophylla smaragdina.—Proc. ent. Soc. Lond., 2, pp. 90–94.Google Scholar
*DeJong, J. K. (1934). Helopeltis in cacaotuinen.—Bergcultures, 8, pp. 658–667. (R. A. E., (A) 23, p. 402.)Google Scholar
Leefmans, S. (1934). Ziekten en plagen der cultuurgewassen in Nederlandsch Oost–Indië in 1931.—Meded. Inst. PlZiekt., Buitenz., no. 82, 92 pp.Google Scholar
Matheson, J. K. & Bovill, E. W. (1950). East African Agriculture.—London, Oxford Univ. Pr.Google Scholar
Murray, G. H. (1937). Outbreak Promecotheca antiqua—Lindenhafen Estate.—New Guinea agric. Gaz., 3, no. 2, pp. 1–2.Google Scholar
Nixon, G. E. J. (1951). The association of ants with Aphids and Coccids.—36 pp. London, Commonw. Inst. Ent.Google Scholar
Nutman, F. J. & Sheffield, F. M. L. (1949). Studies of the clove tree. I. Sudden-death disease and its epidemiology.—Ann. appl. Biol., 36, pp. 419–439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Connor, B. A. (1950). Premature nutfall of coconuts in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.—Agric. J. Fiji, 21, pp. 21–42.Google Scholar
Phillips, J. S. (1940). Immature nutfall of coconuts in the Solomon Islands.—Bull. ent. Res., 31, pp. 295–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
*Pickel, B. (1927). Ainda existe quem queira comprar cuyabanas?—Chacaras e Quint., 36, pp. 184–185. (R.A.E., (A) 15, p. 610.)Google Scholar
*Prell, H. (1925). Ameisen als Schutz gegen Raupenfrass.—Forstl. Wschr. Silva, 1925, no. 7, repr. 16 pp. (R.A.E., (A) 13, p. 208.)Google Scholar
*Ridley, H.,—. (1890). (On Oecophylla.).—J. Straits Br. Asiat. Soc., 1890, p. 345. (Cited by Wheeler, W. M. (1910). Ants, their structure, development and behaviour, p. 628, New York, Columbia Univ. Pr.)Google Scholar
Simmonds, H. W. (1924). Mission to New Guinea, Bismarcks, Solomons and New Hebrides.—Coun. Pap. Fiji, 1924 no. 2, 13 pp.Google Scholar
Strickland, A. H. (1947). Coccids attacking cacao (Theobroma cacao, L.) in West Africa, with descriptions of five new species.—Bull. ent. Res., 38, pp. 497–523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strickland, A. H. (1951). The entomology of swollen shoot of cacao. II. The bionomics and ecology of the species involved.—Bull. ent. Res., 42, pp. 65–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tryon, H. (1919). Report of the Entomologist and Vegetable Pathologist.—Rep. Dep. Agric. Qd, 1918–1919, pp. 37–49.Google Scholar
Van Hall, C. J. J. (1922). Ziekten en plagen der cultuurgewassen in Neder-landsch-Indië in 1921.—Meded. Inst. PlZiekt., Buitenz., no. 53, 46 pp.Google Scholar
Vosseler, J. (1905). Die Ostafrikanische Treiberameise (Siafu).—Pflanzer, 1, pp. 289–302.Google Scholar
*Voûte, A. D. (1935). Crytorrhynchus gravis F. und die Ursachen seiner Massenvermehrung in Java.—Arch. néerl. Zool., 2, pp. 112–142. (R.A.E., (A) 24, p. 198.)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Way, M. J. (1951). An insect pest of coconuts and its relationship to certain ant species.—Nature, Lond., 168, p. 302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Way, M. J. (1953 a). Studies on Theraptus sp. (Coreidae); the cause of the gumming disease of coconuts in East Africa.—Bull. ent. Res., 44, pp. 657–667.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Way, M. J. (1953 b). The relationship between certain ant species with particular reference to biological control of the Coreid, Theraptus sp.—Bull. ent. Res., 44, pp. 669–691.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Way, M. J. (1954). Studies on the association of the ant Oecophylla longinoda (Latr.) (Formicidae) with the scale insect Saissetia zanzibarensis Williams (Coccidae).—Bull. ent. Res., 45, pp. 113–134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, W. M. (1922). Ants of the Belgian Congo.—Bull. Amer. Mus. nat. Hist., 45, pp. 224–231.Google Scholar
Wigg, L. G. T. (1936). Report of the Silviculturist.—Rep. Dep. Agric. Zanzibar, 1935, pp. 34–41.Google Scholar
Williams, D.J. (1953). On a new species of Saissetia (Hem.: Coccoidea) from Zanzibar.—Bull.ent.Res., 44, pp. 581–582.CrossRefGoogle Scholar