扶桑绵粉蚧与长角立毛蚁的互惠关系及其对寄主棉花叶片叶绿素荧光特性的影响

【背景】草食动物对寄主植物的取食或损伤会诱导改变植物的光合作用,从而直接影响植株的健康生长。产蜜昆虫与蚂蚁的互惠关系是物种相互促进的一种重要的生态学现象,能够促进产蜜昆虫的种群数量,然而这种互惠关系及其对寄主植物光合生理的影响还知之甚少。【方法】在室内条件下,运用叶绿素荧光动力学技术研究了外来入侵害虫扶桑绵粉蚧与长角立毛蚁的互惠对寄主棉花叶片叶绿素荧光特性的影响。【结果】随着扶桑绵粉蚧危害时间的延续,寄主植物上蚂蚁和扶桑绵粉蚧的数量均呈现显著上升的趋势,而在危害后期,蚂蚁存在情况下扶桑绵粉蚧的数量要明显低于无蚂蚁处理;在扶桑绵粉蚧取食寄主棉花20 d后,有、无蚂蚁存在的棉花叶片的光合利用率α值较无虫处理分别下降了53.5%和37.0%;存在蚂蚁或扶桑绵粉蚧危害后期对棉花叶片最大相对电子传递效率r ETRmax有显著影响,然而扶桑绵粉蚧单独取食或与蚂蚁互作的情况下未显著影响棉花叶片对强光的耐受能力(Ek)。【结论与意义】研究明确了扶桑绵粉蚧与长角立毛蚁的互惠关系对寄主棉花叶片的光合生理产生了一定的负面效应,为进一步解释扶桑绵粉蚧入侵、扩散及暴发的生态学过程提供了科学依据。     

广东省草皮种植场和城市草坪红火蚁发生为害程度调查

[背景]在防控红火蚁的工作中,有效控制该虫传播途径、降低传播风险是预防的关键。随草皮调运传播是红火蚁扩散的重要方式之一。[方法]采用活蚁巢密度、诱集比率、诱集工蚁数量、发生率等多个指标,调查评价了广东省主要草皮种植地区广州石基、广州增城、深圳南山、惠州博罗等草皮种植场和城市绿化草坪红火蚁发生程度。[结果]广东省草皮种植场红火蚁发生普遍,携带该虫扩散传播的风险极大。不同地区草皮种植场红火蚁发生程度存在明显差异。惠州博罗草场红火蚁发生程度最重,活蚁巢密度、诱集比率、诱集工蚁数量和发生率分别为0．0085个·m^-2、56．75％、16．80头·个^-1和83．60％;深圳南山发生程度最轻,各项指标分别为0．0011个·m^-2、9．62％、0．92头·个^-1和24．50％。城市绿化草坪红火蚁发生较为普遍。调查的3个城市中惠州发生程度最重,活蚁巢密度、诱集比率、诱集工蚁数量和发生率等均最高,分别为0．0149个·m2、10．46％、14．30头·个-1和62．86％。不同品种草坪草红火蚁发生程度不同,以假俭草最高,以上4个指标分别为0．0140个·100m^-2、6．85％、5．57头·个^-1和51．43％。城区类型不同红火蚁发生程度不同,老城区红火蚁发生较轻,新城区较重,发生点常在移植草坪、绿化苗木区域。[结论与意义[广东省主要草皮种植区和城市草坪红火蚁发生均较为普遍,运输携带该虫传播的风险极大,研究结果可为加强草皮检疫、防止携带红火蚁传播提供依据。     

扶桑绵粉蚧及其蜜露对红火蚁的召集作用

为了明确扶桑绵粉蚧Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley及其蜜露对红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren的召集作用,利用双向选择诱集装置测定了扶桑绵粉蚧雌成虫及其分泌蜜露对红火蚁工蚁的诱集数量动态。结果表明：（1）蜜露对红火蚁工蚁具有强烈的召集作用,不管扶桑绵粉蚧存在与否,均可在10~20 min出现觅食工蚁的数量高峰,之后随着蜜露量减少,觅食工蚁诱集数量也逐渐降低,明显高于对照;（2）仅有扶桑绵粉蚧雌成虫存在时,红火蚁觅食工蚁数量呈现逐渐增加的趋势,50 min才达到数量高峰,之后无明显下降趋势;（3）对比蜜露和雌成虫对红火蚁工蚁的诱集结果发现,蜜露对红火蚁工蚁的召集作用明显较强,10 min即可出现91.50头的觅食工蚁数量高峰,而雌成虫对红火蚁的诱集量较低,诱集高峰出现在42 min,诱集量仅为39.17头。因此,扶桑绵粉蚧及其蜜露均对红火蚁工蚁具有一定的召集作用,蜜露的召集作用明显较强,而雌成虫的召集作用较为稳定,未随着时间延长出现明显下降。     

红火蚁与扶桑绵粉蚧互惠关系对松粉蚧抑虱跳小蜂和美棘蓟马的影响

蚂蚁与蜜源昆虫互作是物种间重要的关系之一,发挥着重要的生态功能。红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren是重要的入侵害虫,对生物多样性的影响已被熟知,但它与蜜源昆虫互作的生态学效应却不被充分理解。本研究评价了红火蚁与扶桑绵粉蚧Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley这两种入侵害虫之间的互作对寄生性天敌和粉蚧竞争性昆虫的影响。研究发现红火蚁的照看显著减少了寄主植物上粉蚧重要寄生蜂松粉蚧抑虱跳小蜂Aenasius bambawalei Hayat的种群数量,提高了寄主上粉蚧的存活率,有利于寄主上粉蚧种群的扩增和繁殖。同时红火蚁的存在也显著降低扶桑寄主上粉蚧竞争性昆虫美棘蓟马Echinothrips americanus Morgan成虫和幼虫的数量,抑制了美棘蓟马种群的竞争力,使得粉蚧可以占有更多的寄主植物,为粉蚧种群的繁殖提供了更好的条件。可见,红火蚁与扶桑绵粉蚧的互惠关系的生态效应可能是通过它们与多物种互作综合形成的结果。     

广州地区自然条件下扶桑绵粉蚧入侵定殖能力研究

【背景】扶桑绵粉蚧是一种对棉花等作物具有严重威胁的新的外来人侵害虫,2008年8月在广州市区扶桑上发现该虫。关于该虫入侵种群的大小是需要明确的基本人侵生物学问题之一。【方法】采用了野外接虫、定点系统跟踪观察的方法,研究了广州地区番茄、棉花田间扶桑绵粉蚧的最小入侵种群规模。【结果】扶桑绵粉蚧初始种群侵入棉花、番茄田3d后数量急剧下降,分别减少了82．7％、61．2％,进入3龄后田间种群数量呈现持续小幅度减少的规律,进入产卵期的雌虫出现概率分别为2．83％、2．5％。棉花上扶桑绵粉蚧单雌产卵量为532．6粒,明显高于番茄（418．4粒）。棉花、番茄田的入侵种群趋势指数分别为15．09、10．46,下一代种群呈明显增长趋势,能够成功定殖。棉花、番茄田扶桑绵粉蚧自然种群存活曲线均符合Ⅰ型（凹型）,存活率（S）与接虫后天数（D）的关系模型分别为S=（1．0000＋1．1．505D）-1.1250,S=（Q9996＋Q124810）^-3.0614。根据进入产卵期雌虫的概率,计算出保证扶桑绵粉蚧成功入侵的最小自然种群规模为36—40头。【结论与意义】广州地区6～8月番茄、棉花田新人侵的扶桑绵粉蚧自然种群存活曲线为Ⅰ型（凹型）,最小入侵种群规模为36—40头。该结果为深入研究扶桑绵粉蚧的入侵生物学特性和制定防治策略等提供了依据。     

福建省入侵红火蚁扩散规律研究

【目的】重大入侵害虫红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren广泛分布传播于世界各地,为了掌握红火蚁在新入侵地的传播和扩散的规律,对红火蚁入侵史进行溯源,以期为预防红火蚁入侵提供重要依据。【方法】本文对福建省各地入侵红火蚁的基本入侵参数进行分析,分别对入侵时间与蚁巢数量、蚁巢发生密度以及不同生境蚁巢密度进行模型拟合。【结果】结果表明,入侵方式和入侵地生境的差异导致了入侵红火蚁不同种群的发展状态。由废旧资源携带传入的入侵红火蚁种群,其发生面积较小,扩散的速率较慢,为28.1~116.4 m/年;由草皮苗木携带传入的入侵红火蚁种群,其发生面积较大,扩散的速率较快,为126.1~555.5 m/年。【结论】建立了蚁巢数量、密度与入侵时间之间的关系模型,分别为N=1 003.9Ln(t)+336.27,D=0.0966e~(0.583t),并以此推测三个入侵事件的发生时间范围。     

荒草地和荔枝园生境短期入侵的红火蚁与黑头酸臭蚁种间的干扰竞争

【背景】红火蚁入侵后对新发生地区生物多样性的影响及与土著物种的关系是入侵生物学研究的重点之一,解释红火蚁与类似生态位的土著蚂蚁的关系对全面了解该蚁入侵的生态学效应具有重要意义。【方法】通过野外模拟设置蚁巢,观察、记录距离红火蚁和黑头酸臭蚁蚁巢30 cm处诱集到的黑头酸臭蚁工蚁在红火蚁入侵前、入侵中及移除后的数量变化,研究短期入侵红火蚁实验种群与荒草地和荔枝园黑头酸臭蚁间的干扰竞争。【结果】红火蚁实验种群短期入侵对荒草地生境黑头酸臭蚁的干扰较明显,而对荔枝园生境黑头酸臭蚁的干扰较小;红火蚁未入侵荒草地生境黑头酸臭蚁受干扰最明显,移除红火蚁20 min后,处理诱饵上召集的黑头酸臭蚁数量才与入侵前差异不显著;红火蚁未入侵荔枝园生境黑头酸臭蚁受干扰最小,移除红火蚁仅5 min后,处理诱饵上黑头酸臭蚁数量就恢复到入侵前,甚至超过入侵前数量。【结论与意义】红火蚁入侵对黑头酸臭蚁的觅食行为存在较大的干扰抑制作用,其影响程度与生境的复杂性有着密切关系。研究结果可为了解红火蚁入侵的生态学效应提供证据。     

研究红火蚁工蚁活动性的新方法-刻度图示法

应用一种新方法--刻度图示法研究红火蚁工蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren群体活动性规律,结果表明,标尺上红火蚁最高爬升高度、平均爬升高度、工蚁恢复平静时间、工蚁累计数量均随着蚁巢体积增大而增大,通过分析建立红火蚁工蚁活动性程度各指标值与蚁巢大小关系多个模型.     

研究红火蚁工蚁活动性的新方法—刻度图示法

应用一种新方法——刻度图示法研究红火蚁工蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren群体活动性规律,结果表明,标尺上红火蚁最高爬升高度、平均爬升高度、工蚁恢复平静时间、工蚁累计数量均随着蚁巢体积增大而增大,通过分析建立红火蚁工蚁活动性程度各指标值与蚁巢大小关系多个模型。     

红火蚁入侵和未入侵生境中蚂蚁的觅食强度

采用诱饵诱集法,对华南地区3种典型的红火蚁入侵和未入侵生境中蚂蚁对4种诱饵（蜂蜜、花生油、火腿肠和黄粉虫幼虫）的搜寻时间、召集时间及召集数量进行研究,并分析了红火蚁入侵对蚂蚁觅食强度的影响.结果表明：草坪红火蚁入侵区,蚂蚁对黄粉虫幼虫和花生油的搜寻时间极显著或显著短于对照区（红火蚁非入侵区）;荒草地红火蚁入侵区,蚂蚁对4种诱饵的搜寻时间与对照区的差异均不显著,在花生油上的召集时间显著长于对照区;荔枝园红火蚁入侵区,蚂蚁对4种诱饵的搜寻时间及召集时间与对照区均无显著差异.诱饵设置30 min时,草坪红火蚁入侵区,花生油、黄粉虫幼虫、火腿肠上的红火蚁工蚁数量均显著多于本地蚂蚁工蚁数量;荒草地红火蚁入侵区,花生油上的红火蚁工蚁数量明显多于本地蚂蚁工蚁数量,其余诱饵上红火蚁工蚁数量与本地蚂蚁工蚁数量的差异不显著;荔枝园红火蚁入侵区,4种诱饵上红火蚁工蚁数量与本地蚂蚁工蚁数量的差异均不显著.     

Does Mutualism Drive the Invasion of Two Alien Species? The Case of Solenopsis invicta and Phenacoccus solenopsis

Although mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing hemipterans has been extensively recognized in ecosystem biology, however few attempts to test the hypothesis that mutualism between two alien species leads to the facilitation of the invasion process. To address this problem, we focus on the conditional mutualism between S. invicta and P. solenopsis by field investigations and indoor experiments. In the laboratory, ant colony growth increased significantly when ants had access to P. solenopsis and animal-based food. Honeydew produced by P. solenopsis also improved the survival of ant workers. In the field, colony density of P. solenopsis was significantly greater on plots with ants than on plots without ants. The number of mealybug mummies on plants without fire ants was almost three times that of plants with fire ants, indicating a strong effect of fire ants on mealybug survival. In addition, the presence of S. invicta successfully contributed to the spread of P. solenopsis. The quantity of honeydew consumption by S. invicta was significantly greater than that of a presumptive native ant, Tapinoma melanocephalum. When compared with the case without ant tending, mealybugs tended by ants matured earlier and their lifespan and reproduction increased. T. melanocephalum workers arrived at honeydew more quickly than S. invicta workers, while the number of foraging S. invicta workers on plants steadily increased, eventually exceeding that number of T. melanocephalum foragers. Overall, these results suggest that the conditional mutualism between S. invicta and P. solenopsis facilitates population growth and fitness of both species. S. invicta tends to acquire much more honeydew and drive away native ants, promoting their predominance. These results suggest that the higher foraging tempo of S. invicta may provide more effective protection of P. solenopsis than native ants. Thus mutualism between these two alien species may facilitate the invasion success of both species.     

Do additional sugar sources affect the degree of attendance of Dysmicoccus brevipes by the fire ant Solenopsis geminata?

Mutualistic interactions between ants and Hemiptera are mediated to a large extent by the amount and quality of sugar‐rich honeydew produced. Throughout the neotropics, the predaceous fire ant Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is found in association with colonies of the pineapple mealybug, Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), which they actively tend and protect from attack by natural enemies. In this study, we evaluate the effects of access to a sucrose solution on the mutualistic association between S. geminata and D. brevipes. Ten colonies of either species were established, with D. brevipes maintained on pumpkin, Cucurbita maxima Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae), in screen cages. Five of the S. geminata colonies were permitted access to vials with 20% sucrose solution and a pumpkin with 20 adult mealybugs. The remaining ant colonies were allowed access to mealybug‐infested pumpkins. Ant colonies with access to the sucrose solution attended mealybugs significantly less than those without additional sugar sources. Mealybug survival rates were similar under both treatments. Total body sugars and fructose were nearly twice as high in ants with access to honeydew and sucrose vs. those with access to honeydew and water. Fructose accumulated on the pumpkins over time in both treatments, suggesting that honeydew was not fully exploited by the ants. In conclusion, D. brevipes enjoy lower degrees of ant attendance when S. geminata have alternative sources of carbohydrates. We further discuss the significance of these findings for the conservation of predaceous ants and mealybug biological control.     

Effects Of Tending By Solenopsis Invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) On The Sugar Composition And Concentration In The Honeydew Of An Invasive Mealybug,Phenacoccus Solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Mutualistic interactions between ants and hemipterans are mediated by the honeydew produced by the hemipterans. Previous works have demonstrated that the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis produces abundant honeydew and attracts a large number of workers of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. Mealybugs exhibit higher fecundity when tended by fire ants. The honeydew produced by P. solenopsis plays an important role in interactions between these two species. However, relatively few studies have focused on whether there is a cost to P. solenopsis mealybugs of being tended by S. invicta through changes in their excretion behavior and the quantity of honeydew produced. Our results indicated that the honeydew of P. solenopsis contains xylose, fructose, sucrose, trehalose, melezitose, and raffinose. The sugar concentration in the mealybug honeydew changed in an ant‐tended treatment. When tended by fire ants, the mealybugs generated honeydew with a significantly decreased xylose concentration. In contrast, the droplets showed a considerable increase in the melezitose concentration. P. solenopsis excreted honeydew more frequently when tended by S. invicta, but the weights of the droplets excreted by the ant‐tended mealybugs were significantly lower. In addition, S. invicta exhibited a significant preference for different sugars. Melezitose was visited more intensively than the other sugars in two choice tests. These results may suggest that, to attract more tending ants, mealybugs adjust their carbohydrate metabolism.     

Impacts of Argentine ants on mealybugs and their natural enemies in California's coastal vineyards

Abstract 1. The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, tends honeydew‐excreting homopterans and can disrupt the activity of their natural enemies. This mutualism is often cited for increases in homopteran densities; however, the ant’s impact on natural enemies may be only one of several effects of ant tending that alters insect densities. To test for the variable impacts of ants, mealybug and natural enemy densities were monitored on ant‐tended and ant‐excluded vines in two California vineyard regions. 2. Ant tending increased densities of the obscure mealybug, Pseudococcus viburni, and lowered densities of its encyrtid parasitoids Pseudaphycus flavidulus and Leptomastix epona. Differences in parasitoid recovery rates suggest that P. flavidulus was better able to forage on ant‐tended vines than L. epona. 3. Densities of a coccinellid predator, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, were higher on ant‐tended vines, where there were more mealybugs. Together with behavioural observations, the results showed that this predator can forage in patches of ant‐tended mealybugs, and that it effectively mimics mealybugs to avoid disturbance by ants. 4. Ant tending increased densities of the grape mealybug, Pseudococcus maritimus, by increasing the number of surviving first‐instar mealybugs. Parasitoids were nearly absent from the vineyard infested with P. maritimus. Therefore, ants improved either mealybug habitat or fitness. 5. There was no difference in mealybug distribution or seasonal development patterns on ant‐tended and ant‐excluded vines, indicating that ants did not move mealybugs to better feeding locations or create a spatial refuge from natural enemies. 6. Results showed that while Argentine ants were clearly associated with increased mealybug densities, it is not a simple matter of disrupting natural enemies. Instead, ant tending includes benefits independent of the effect on natural enemies. Moreover, the effects on different natural enemy species varied, as some species thrive in the presence of ants.     

Fire Ants Protect Mealybugs against Their Natural Enemies by Utilizing the Leaf Shelters Constructed by the Leaf Roller Sylepta derogata

The importance of mutualism is receiving more attention in community ecology. In this study, the fire ant Solenopsis invicta was found to take advantage of the shelters constructed by the leaf roller Sylepta derogata to protect mealybugs (Phenacoccus solenopsis) against their natural enemies. This protective effect of fire ant tending on the survival of mealybugs in shelters was observed when enemies and leaf rollers were simultaneously present. Specifically, fire ants moved the mealybugs inside the shelters produced by S. derogata on enemy-infested plants. Compared with that in plants without ants, the survival of mealybugs in shelters in the presence of natural enemies in plants with ants markedly improved. Both the protection of ants and the shelters provided by leaf rollers did not affect the survival of mealybugs in the absence of enemies in plants. Ants and leaf rollers significantly improved the survival of mealybugs in predator-infested plants, whereas no such improvement was observed in parasitoid-infested ones.     

Spatial distribution of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), vine mealybugs and mealybug parasitoids in vineyards

The mutualistic association between some ant species and honeydew‐producing Hemiptera has been shown to influence the distribution patterns and abundance of these hemipterans and their natural enemies. We studied the spatial distribution patterns of three ant species, mealybugs and mealybug parasitoids for two consecutive growing seasons on three wine grape farms in the Western Cape, South Africa. During the study period, no ant or mealybug controls were applied. Ant and mealybug monitoring was conducted on a total of 21 ha using a presence/absence sampling system, while parasitoids were collected from infested mealybug females. Spatial analysis by distance indices was used to analyse spatial distribution of insects and ArcView? was used to map the gap, patch and local association indices where significant association and disassociation occurred. Significant associations were found between some ants and parasitoids, while significant disassociations between the ants Crematogaster peringueyi and Linepithema humile; and also between Crematogaster peringueyi and Anoplolepis steingroeveri were found. Interspecific competition between ant species could play a role in the distribution of parasitoids and mealybugs. Our results stress the importance of monitoring for ants and mealybugs and further highlight the importance of restricted chemical applications against ants during the growing season.     

Does the host plant affect the benefits from mutualisms? The invasive mealybug and ghost ant association

1. The benefits to trophobionte hemipterans are affected by the ant tending level, which is a widely accepted statement. The ant tending level is closely related to multiple factors. It is clear that the ant tending level can be affected by the temporal factor, age‐specific, the density of the hemipterans, and quantity and quality of honeydew produced by hemipterans. 2. Few studies of ant–hemipteran mutualisms have reported the patterns of host plants‐dependent effects, and whether host plants influence the ant tending level that is also unclear. As such, laboratory experiments were conducted to test whether the colony growth rate of an invasive mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, parasitism of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat, an dominant parasitoid of P. solenopsis, are affected by tending by ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum(Fabricius)], host plants (tomato and cotton), and interactions between the two factors. The difference in the ant tending level between the host plants was also determined. 3. The results showed that mealybug colony growth and parasitism were significantly affected by ant tending and host plant separately. There were significant interactions between the independent factors on the mealybug colony growth rate and percentage parasitism. These results suggest that benefits to mealybugs are host plant‐dependent.