黄猄蚁对柚子花期害虫的影响

于2008年3月柚子花期,将柚园划分为两个区域,一个区域引迁黄蚁,另一个区域不做处理作为对照。在2个区域分别选取20个枝条共40枝,对柚子花期主要害虫(柑桔花蕾蛆、蓟马)及健叶率进行调查。结果表明:对照区柑桔花蕾蛆和蓟马的虫口密度及虫花率都显著高于处理区,而且虫口数量一直保持在较高的水平;有黄蚁存在的情况下,柚子树花蕾蛆的有虫花率减少了70%～80%,蓟马有虫花率减少了近60%,健叶率增加了30%左右。建议在今后害虫综合防治中,充分认识到黄蚁对害虫的防治作用,通过保护和引迁黄蚁来有效防治害虫。     

黄猄蚁饥渴耐受能力的初研究

在实验室恒温条件下,通过完全饥渴、清水和蜂蜜水处理3种方式对黄猄蚁工蚁进行了饥渴耐受能力的测定.结果表明,完全饥渴处理的黄猄蚁工蚁平均存活时间为81.38 h(24～132 h),清水处理的黄猄蚁工蚁平均存活时间为92.25 h(48～156 h),两者差异显著(P＜0.05).蜂蜜水处理死亡的黄猄蚁工蚁平均存活时间为...     

西双版纳入侵长足捷蚁与土著黄猄蚁的种间竞争

【目的】入侵物种能够通过竞争影响本地物种的种群,从而影响入侵地的生物多样性。长足光捷蚁Anoplolepis gracilipes是全球最具破坏力的入侵蚂蚁之一。本研究旨在明确西双版纳地区入侵长足捷蚁与土著优势种蚂蚁黄猄蚁Oecophylla smaragdina之间的竞争关系。【方法】通过野外调查和室内控制试验相结合的方法,观察和对比分析长足捷蚁和黄猄蚁的体型大小,雾凉季和雨季的巢穴外觅食活动规律,觅食能力(搜寻食物的时间、在觅食时间内召集的最大工蚁数),打斗行为(不同打斗组合的攻击强度和死亡率)以及对饥渴的耐受性(无食物和水分供应时平均存活时间和存活率随时间的变化)。【结果】长足捷蚁工蚁体长(3.66±0.06 mm)显著小于黄猄蚁工蚁(8.27±0.16 mm)。在雾凉季时,长足捷蚁具有比黄猄蚁更长的觅食活动时间;而在雨季时,两种蚂蚁均在下午温度较高时段觅食活动的个体数量减少。苹果、蜂蜜和火腿肠3种食物作为诱饵时,长足捷蚁具有更快搜寻食物的能力,4~8 min便能找寻到食物,而黄猄蚁需要8~21 min才能找寻到食物,此外在寻找到食物后,长足捷蚁也有更快召集同伴的能力。在人工控制试验中,1头长足捷蚁和1头黄猄蚁同时存在时主要以不攻击和低强度攻击为主,而当两种蚂蚁中的任意其中一种的个体数量增加到5头时,攻击强度会显著增加,两种蚂蚁均存在种间协作行为。在饥渴状态下,两种蚂蚁工蚁的平均存活时间差异不显著,但长足捷蚁最长存活120 h,黄猄蚁最长存活96 h。【结论】在西双版纳地区,长足捷蚁相较于土著黄猄蚁具有更强的觅食的能力,雾凉季觅食活动时间更长,暗示长足捷蚁可能具有较强的温度适应能力。有必要加强对这一入侵蚂蚁的研究,并密切关注其种群在该地区的发展。     

伊大头蚁蚁巢的结构与分布

伊大头蚁Pheidole yeensis是舞草Codariocalyx motorius种子的主要搬运者, 在舞草的扩散中起着重要作用。2000年在西双版纳和思茅地区景谷县对伊大头蚁种群数量、蚁巢结构与分布进行了调查。结果表明:伊大头蚁主要在土壤中筑巢,深度可达地下50 cm;每巢蚁量一般在2 000～3 000头,最多的可达万头;伊大头蚁大多在海拔1 000～1 200 m的山腰筑巢, 以西坡的蚁巢密度最大,南坡次之,北坡最少;在丢荒2～3年的地里筑巢最多,其次为玉米和花生地,在森林里筑巢的相对较少;伊大头蚁的蚁巢呈均匀分布,但巢群间相互排斥。伊大头蚁筑巢生境与舞草生长的环境基本一致,蚁巢结构与蚁量有利于舞草的扩散与建群。     

黄猄蚁对橡胶盔蚧种群消长的影响

调查西双版纳地区黄猄蚁OecophyllasmaragdinaFabricius对橡胶盔蚧Parasaissetianigra(Nietner)种群数量和寄生蜂的影响。结果表明:黄猄蚁对橡胶盔蚧种群消长及寄生蜂均有影响。"有蚂蚁"枝条上介壳虫种群数量显著高于"无蚂蚁"枝条。"有蚂蚁"枝条介壳虫死亡率和寄生蜂都显著低于"无蚂蚁"枝条。说明黄猄蚁的存在影响了橡胶树介壳虫的种群繁殖率和死亡率。建议在今后综合防治中,充分利用蚂蚁与橡胶树介壳虫关系。通过驱逐橡胶树上的蚂蚁来有效遏制介壳虫的发生。     

粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢解剖及其数学建模

为了弄清与排泄蜜露的昆虫有密切关系的粗纹举腹蚁Crematogaster macaoensis Wheeler的生物学特性,于2009年8月至2010年7月在云南省墨江县雅邑乡紫胶园采集并调查了42个粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢。粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢类型为层纸巢,灰黑色,筑于紫胶虫寄主植物树干的中上部,由干枯树叶、杂草、碎屑和蚁分泌物粘结而成;巢内疏松,蚁道纵横交错;单蚁后制,工蚁单型;平均每巢的蚁后、繁殖雌蚁、雄蚁和工蚁的数量分别为(1.00±0.00)头,(488.75±242.59)头,(3 096.86±2 923.75)头和(40 839.07±8 597.98)头;卵、幼虫和蛹的数量分别为(9 936.60±2 448.62)粒,(3 214.83±781.71)头和(4 582.00±656.07)个。粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢体积和每巢工蚁数量的计算公式分别为:V=0.365×(43×πabc)1.056和WN=135.236×V0.660(式中V代表蚁巢体积,a、b、c分别代表蚁巢的长半径、短半径和极半径,WN代表工蚁数量)。这两个公式为监测粗纹举腹蚁的种群数量变化提供了一种手段。     

黄猄蚁对大蜜蜂的捕食行为及其潜在影响

捕食作用会对访花昆虫的种群、行为以及植物适合度产生影响,是植物与传粉者相互关系研究中常被忽视的因素.本文报道了黄猄蚁对大蜜蜂的捕食行为,并模拟捕食的关键环节研究了捕食过程对重要访花昆虫行为的影响.结果表明,黄猄蚁能够利用局部环境主动攻击猎物,利用群体合作捕获采集过程中的体型较大的大蜜蜂,捕食威胁是其影响植物-访花者关系的重要机制.大蜜蜂具有感知花上危险的能力,模拟处理的个体会逃离危险的花或植株并在花上留下标记,将危险信息传递给其它个体.其它拜访者对具有危险信号花的采集频次明显减少,采集时间缩短;模拟处理的影响会随时间推移而较快地消失.此外,该实验没有发现大蜜蜂在花上停留采集过程中具有明显的防御行为.     

鼎突多刺蚁的营巢习性

1985—1986年在浙江永康县城东南10公里的山坡上观察鼎突多刺蚁(Polyrhachis vicina Roger)的营巢习性;见到蚁巢大多分布于山脚附近、温暖而阳光充足的南坡,一般生活于地面,以刺芒野古草(Arundinella setosaTrin.)为主的禾本科草丛中.蚁巢由工蚁使幼虫吐丝把植物残体、昆虫尸体、泥沙和碎石等物缀织而成.地下部分的深度常受气温的影响:5—10月,气温较高,巢深2—4cm、11—4月,气候寒冷,深度可达10—20cm.每个蚁巢内的所有个体为一相对独立的群体,相邻蚁巢的群体间常相互联系、交换幼期个体和食物等.群体常因季节的变化而有迁移现象:秋季至春季,蚁巢大多位于阳光充足的草地上,夏天,由于气候炎热,蚁巢自草地移向遮荫度较大的树林.8—9月,部分上树筑巢.1—8月,蚁巢数不变,8月以后,蚁巢数开始增加,到10月达到最大,以后又下降,到12月降至通常水平.由此可见,9—10月,蚂蚁分巢,11—12月,部分蚁巢又合并.平均每巢工蚁数夏季最多,其次是春季和冬季,秋季由于分巢而最少.     

予蚁大军向前冲

非洲热带森林里,一根倒地的枯木下,几十万只矛蚁紧紧相扣,用身体筑成一座坚不可摧的军事堡垒。在堡垒最为安全的中心地带,蚁后伊莎一边产卵,一边在心中暗暗计算:23天,距离上次游猎,已经过了23天。     

氮磷钾肥配施对腰果红带蓟马发生为害的影响

研究氮磷钾配施对腰果红带蓟马Selenothrips rubrocinctus(Giard)发生为害的影响。结果表明,N3P3K2和N3P2K1处理的抗虫能力最高,其蓟害指数显著低于其他处理,分别为3.10%和8.30%,N3P1K3和N2P3K1处理也有较强的抗虫能力,蓟害指数分别为20.40%和20.30%,而N1P2K2处理的抗虫能力最低,其蓟害指数为54.00%,显著高于N3P3K2,N3P2K1,N3P1K3,N2P3K1和N2P1K2处理。植株冠幅方位对红带蓟马发生为害的影响差异不明显,说明光强度对腰果红带蓟马的发生为害影响不显著。研究表明,腰果叶片含氮量在1.43%~1.72%范围内,叶片氮素含量与腰果蓟害指数呈极显著的负相关。     

Microsatellite loci for the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina

We developed 13 microsatellite loci in Oecophylla smaragdina from random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments. These loci showed two to 14 alleles in O. smaragdina with expected heterozygosity of each locus from 0.10 to 0.89, and six were also polymorphic in the related species, O. longinoda. The results suggested that the loci will be useful to analyse the genetic structure of Oecophylla species at both the colony and population levels.     

Nest and colony-specific spectra in the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina

Animals in social groups need to differentiate between group members and others. In very large groups, such as those formed by many ant species, it is not possible to rely on individually specific cues to identify colonymates. Instead, recognition must be based on the colony-specific cues. Individual ant colonies tend to have a specific chemical gestalt that is maintained by the continual exchange of chemicals between workers. In very large polydomous colonies, the exchange of chemicals may be limited between nests within the colony, resulting in inter-nest variation in colony odour that might hinder identification of colonymates or conspecific intruders. We used near-infrared spectroscopy to explore variation in the chemical profile between and within colonies of the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. We found that differences between colonies were reflected in the position, amplitude and width of spectral peaks, while differences between nests within colonies were reflected mainly in amplitude. Furthermore, in the context of colonymate recognition, the behaviour of the ants themselves was positively correlated with colony-specific spectral characteristics, rather than with nest-specific characteristics. Thus, colony spectra have features that are not obscured by intra-colonial variation and may potentially encode the chemical characteristics used by workers to identify colonymates.     

Molecular phylogeny among local populations of weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina

The molecular phylogeny of 24 Oecophylla smaragdina populations and two O. longinoda populations was studied using 647 bp of the mitochondrial cyt b gene. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that O. smaragdina and O. longinoda were separated from each other first, and after that the first within-species divergence of O. smaragdina occurred in early stage of their history, in which the Asian, Australian, and Sulawesian groups rose. This grouping was almost coincident with the distribution of landmass in glacial periods in Pleistocene. Thereafter, each group seemed to have independently diverged into present populations on each landmass.     

Breeding system, colony and population structure in the weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina

Weaver ants ( Oecophylla smaragdina ) are dominant ants in open forests from India, Australia, China and Southeast Asia, whose leaf nests are held together with larval silk. The species, together with its sole congener O. longinoda , has been important in research on biological control, communication, territoriality and colony integration. Over most of the range, only one queen has been found per colony, but the occurrence of several queens per nest has been reported for the Australian Northern Territory. The number of males mating with each queen is little known. Here we report on the colony structure of O. smaragdina using published and new microsatellite markers. Worker genotype arrays reflect the occurrence of habitual polygyny (more than one queen per colony) in 18 colonies from Darwin, Northern Australia, with up to five queens inferred per colony. Monogyny (one queen per colony) with occasional polygyny was inferred for 14 colonies from Queensland, Australia, and 20 colonies from Java, Indonesia. Direct genotyping of the sperm carried by 77 Queensland queens and worker genotypic arrays of established colonies yielded similar results, indicating that less than half of the queens mate only once and some mate up to five times. Worker genotype arrays indicated that queens from Java and the Northern Territory also often mate with more than one male, but less often than those from Queensland. A strong isolation-by-distance effect was found for Queensland samples. The variation uncovered means that O. smaragdina is a more versatile study system than previously supposed.     

Phylogeography of Asian weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina

The phylogeography of Oecophylla smaragdina was studied using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (Cytb), cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), and nuclear long-wavelength opsin gene (LW Rh). Weaver ants were collected from 35 localities and from one to nine colonies per locality. Neighbor-joining trees inferred from 647 bp of Cytb and 1,026 bp of COI using Oecophylla longinoda as an outgroup indicated that the haplotypes of O. smaragdina were clearly separated into seven groups: group 1 of India excluding West Bengal; group 2 of Bengal, Indochinese Peninsula, Malay Peninsula and Greater Sunda Islands, including Lombok and Sumbawa; group 3 of the Philippines; group 4 of Flores; group 5 of Sulawesi; group 6 of Halmahera; and group 7 of New Guinea and Australia. This grouping was also supported by a strict consensus tree derived from maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood trees. In addition, two haplotypes of LW Rh were found in O. smaragdina: one in group 2 and another in all the other groups. Comparison to haplotypes in other hymenopteran species suggests that group 2 is younger than other groups of O. smaragdina. The clustering of the seven groups was coincident with geological evidence of the distribution of continents, islands, and seas during glacial periods.     

Polymorphism and division of labour in a socially complex ant: neuromodulation of aggression in the Australian weaver ant,Oecophylla smaragdina

Complex social structure in eusocial insects can involve worker morphological and behavioural differentiation. Neuroanatomical variation may underscore worker division of labour, but the regulatory mechanisms of size-based task specialization in polymorphic species are unknown. The Australian weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, exhibits worker polyphenism: larger major workers aggressively defend arboreal territories, whereas smaller minors nurse brood. Here, we demonstrate that octopamine (OA) modulates worker size-related aggression in O. smaragdina. We found that the brains of majors had significantly higher titres of OA than those of minors and that OA was positively and specifically correlated with the frequency of aggressive responses to non-nestmates, a key component of territorial defence. Pharmacological manipulations that effectively switched OA action in major and minor worker brains reversed levels of aggression characteristic of each worker size class. Results suggest that altering OA action is sufficient to produce differences in aggression characteristic of size-related social roles. Neuromodulators therefore may generate variation in responsiveness to task-related stimuli associated with worker size differentiation and collateral behavioural specializations, a significant component of division of labour in complex social systems.     

Asian weaver ants,Oecophylla smaragdina,and their repelling of pollinators

The Asian weaver ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, is known to have outstanding predatory power. This ant can protect the host plants from attacks of phytophagous insects and therefore has been used for biological control in the tropics. We present evidence for a possible negative effect of Oecophylla on the performance of host plants. Our observation in a fruit orchard of rambutan in Sumatra suggested that the presence of Oecohylla nests on the trees statistically significantly lowered the flower-visiting rate of flying insects, involving the major pollinator Trigona minangkabau. The visiting rate of Oecophylla workers to each flower shoot of rambutan significantly negatively correlated with the visiting rate of flying insects. Empirical evidence of such an inhibitory effect on flower-visiting of pollinators cased by aggressive ants has been scarce so far.     

Oecophylla smaragdina food conversion efficiency: prospects for ant farming

Oecophylla ants are sold at high prices on several commercial markets as a human delicacy, as pet food or as traditional medicine. Currently markets are supplied by ants collected from the wild; however, an increasing interest in ant farming exists as all harvest is easily sold and as ant farming can be combined with the use of the ants in biological control programmes in tropical plantations where pest insects are converted into ant biomass. To assess the cost‐benefits of ant farming based on artificial feeding, food consumption and food conversion efficiency (ECI) of Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) was tested under laboratory conditions. Of the two types of food offered, the ants ingested 76% pure sucrose and 24% insect prey (dry weights) leading to ECI’s of 29% and 39% including brood only or brood plus imago gain, respectively. Based on Thai sugar and protein food costs and ant brood selling prices these efficiencies led to rates of return from 1.52 to 4.56, respectively, if: (i) protein is supplied from commercial products; or (ii) alternatively supplied from free sources such as insects and kitchen waste. These results suggest that Oecophylla ant farming may become highly profitable and deserves further research.