Mgocheki, N., & Addison, P. 2009 Interference of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with biological control of the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Biological Control 49: 180–185
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Notes: In South Africa, three ant species, Anoplolepis steingroeveri, Crematogaster peringueyi and Linepithema humile form a trophobiotic relationship with the vine mealybug in vineyards and promote the latter’s infestations to unacceptable levels. Parasitoid mortality and the number of parasitized vine mealybug females were then recorded in the presence and absence of the three ant species. The mean number of ants and parasitoids on the mealybug-infested butternuts differed significantly between ant species. Crematogaster peringueyi and L. humile caused significantly higher mortality of both parasitoids than A. steingroeveri during the 24-h exposure period. Coccidoxenoides perminutus parasitized significantly more vine mealybugs than Anagyrus sp. for all treatments. Ants should therefore be controlled prior to release of parasitoids to suppress populations of ant-tended Hemiptera in vineyards.
