Faunistic survey and population fluctuations of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as predators of pests of rice fields in Mazandaran, Iran

Subject Areas :

Hassan  Ghahari ¹ (Assistant Professor in Entomology, Department of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Shahre Rey Branch, Tehran,)
mehrdad  Tabari ² (Scientific Board of Iranian Rice Research Institute, Amol, Mazandaran, Iran)
abolfazl  Rashidi ³ (Assistant Professor of Plant Breeding, Department of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Shahre Rey Branch, Tehran, Iran)
hamireza  Mohebbi ⁴ (M.Sc. in Agronomy, Department of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Shahre Rey Branch, Tehran, Iran.)

Received: 2007-08-07 Accepted : 2008-06-25 Published : 2010-08-23

Keywords: Population fluctuation, fauna, Mazandaran, Ant, Formicidae, Rice field,

Abstract :

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are one of the important predators in different agroecosystems. Considering the importance of ants in predating and feeding at different life stages of pests, fauna and population fluctuation of these beneficial insects were studied in rice fields of Mazandaran province. Of the faunistic survey, totally 15 species of ants were collected and identified from the paddy fields in Mazandaran province. The results of population fluctuations on the stubbles of three varieties including, Fajr, Khazar and Nemat indicated that the ants' population density was higher on Fajr than the two other varieties, and there was not a significant difference between Khazar and Nemat. Samplings from 11 September to 15 November 2005 indicated that the population density increased until last October and then decreased gradually; the highest density was obtained in 30 October. The means comparison revealed the significant reciprocal effect of "sampling date × rice variety" on population density of ants "P<0.01".

References:

Alipanah H, Kharazi-Pakdel A, Moghadassi P (1995) Taxonomical study of Myrmicinae ants in Tehran. Proceedings of 12^th Iranian Plant Protection Congress, p. 304. [In Persian with English Abstract].

Berger A (1993)  Larval migration in the stemborer Chilo partellus (Lep.: Pyralidae). Dissertation Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, 80 pp.

Betbeder-Matibet M (1989) Biological control of sorghum stemborers.  Internationalworkshop on sorghum stemborers, ICRISAT, pp. 89-93.

Bonhof ML, Overholt WA, Van Huis A, Polaszek A (1997) Natural enemies of cereal stemborers in east Africa: A review. Insect Science Application 17(1): 19-35.

Dash ST (2005) Species diversity and biogeography of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Louisianan, with notes on their ecology. M.Sc. Thesis, Louisiana State University, 290 pp.

de Kraker J, van Huis A, Heong KL, van Lenteren JC, Rabbinge R (1999) Population dynamics of rice leaffolders (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and their natural enemies in irrigated rice in the Philippines. Bulletin of Entomological Research 89: 411-421.

Dwumfour EF (1990) Predators of Chilo partellus. ICIPE 18th Annual Report, pp. 32-36.

Dwumfour EF, Owino J, Andere M (1991) Discovery capacity by parasitoids and predators of Chilo partellus eggs. ICIPE 19th Annual Report, pp. 23-24.

Esquival REA (1983) Effective control of giant moth borer Castnia licus (Drury) in Panama, utilizing biological cultural methods. Entomology Workshop, International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 14: 6-7.

Fittkau EJ, Klinge H (1973) On biomass and trophic structure of the central Amazonian rain forest ecosystem. Biotropica 5: 2-14.

Ghahari H, Collingwood CA, Tabari M, Ostovan H (2009) Faunistic notes on Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of rice fields and surrounding grasslands in northern Iran. Munis Entomology and Zoology. 4(1): 184-189.

Ghaninia M (2001) Biology, host preference and mass rearing of Andrallus spinidens (F.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in laboratory condition. M.Sc. Thesis in Entomology, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran. [In Persian with English Abstract].

Girling DJ (1978) The distribution and biology of Eldana saccharina (Lep.: Pyralidae) and its relationship to other stem borers in Uganda. Bulletin of Entomological Research 68: 471-488.

Gotwald WH (1986) The beneficial economic role of ants. In: Vinson SB (ed.), Economic impact and control of social insects. New York: Praeger. pp. 290-313.

Gravena S, Pazetto JA (1987) Predation and parasitism of cotton leafworm eggs, Albama argillaceae (Lep.: Noctuidae). Entomophaga 32: 241-248.

Heinrichs EA (1994) Biology and management of rice insects. Wiley Eastern Ltd., IRRI. 779 pp.

Huffaker CB, Messengaer PS (1976) Theory and Practice of biological control. Academic Press, 745 pp.

Kaspari M, Ward PS, Yuan M (2004) Energy gradients and the geographic distribution of local ant diversity.  Oecologia 140: 407-413.

Kfir R (1988)  Hibernation by the lepidopteran stalk borers, Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus on grain sorghum. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 48: 31-36.

Knutson AE, Gilstrap FE (1995) Life tables and population dynamics of the southwestern corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Texas corn. Environmental Entomology 19: 684-696.

Leslie GW (1982)  A study of egg predators of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).  Proceeding of South African Sugar Cane Technologists' Association 56: 85-87.

Leslie GW (1988) The identification and importance of predators of Eldana saccharina (Lepidopera: Pyralidae).   Proc. South African Sugar Technologists' Association 62: 124-128.

Majer JD (1986) Utilizing economically beneficial ants; pp. 314 - 331. In: Vinson, S.B. (ed.), Economic impact and control of social insects. New York, Praeger, 421 pp.

McDaniel SG, Sterling WL (1982) Predation of Heliothis virescens (F.) eggs on cotton in east Texas. Environmental Entomology 11: 60 - 66.

Mohyuddin AI (1990) Biological control of Chilo spp. in maize, sorghum and millet. Insect Science Application 11(4/5): 721-732.

Mohyuddin AI, Greathead DJ (1970) An annotated list of parasites of gramineous stemborers in east Africa, with a discussion of their potential in biological control. Entomophaga 15: 241-274.

Oloo GW (1989)  The role of local natural enemies in population dynamics of Chilo partellus (Swinh.) (Pyralidae) under subsistence farming systems in Kenya. Insect Science Application 10(2): 243-251.

Oloumi Sadeghi H, Kharazi-Pakdel A, Jaafari MA (1980) Ecological studies and effect of microorganisms on Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in northern Iran. Publication of Agricultural College of Tehran University, 105 pp. [In Persian with English Abstract].

Polaszek A (1998) African cereal stem borers: Economic importance, taxonomy, natural enemies and control. Wallingford, UK: CABI, 530 pp.

Risch SJ, Caroll CR (1982) The ecological roles of ants in two Mexican agroecosystems. Oecologia 55:114-119.

Robertson HG (1985) Egg predation by ants as a partial explanation of the difference in performance of Cactoblastes cactorum on cactus weeds in south Africa and Australia. Proceeding of 6^th International Symposium of Biology and Control of Weeds, Ottawa, Canada. pp. 83 - 88.

Rubia E, Pena NB, Almazan LP, Shepard BM (1990) Efficacy of selected predators against some insect pests of rice. Journal of Plant Protection in the Tropics 7: 69-76.

SAS Institute. 2000. SAS/STAT User's Guide, release version 8.2. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina.

Summers CG (1976) Population fluctuations of selected arthropods in alfalfa: Influence of two harvesting practices. Environmental Entomology 5(1): 103-110.

Traniello JFA (1989) Foraging strategies of ants. Annual Review of Entomology 34: 191-210.

Van Pelt A, Gentry JB (1985) The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Savannah River Plant, South Carolina. Dept. Energy, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Report SRO-NERP-14, 56 pp.

Waiyaki JN (1974) The ecology of Eldana saccharina Walker, and associated loss in cane yield at Arusha-Chini, Moshi, Tanzania. Proceeding of International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists 15(1): 457-462.

Way MJ, Cammell ME, Bolton B, Kanagaratnam P (1989) Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as egg predators of coccounut pests, especially in relation to biological control of the coconut caterpillar, Opisina arenosella Walker (Lep.: Xyloryctidae) in Sri Lanka. Bulletin of Entomological Research 79: 219-233.

Way M, Khoo KC (1992) Role of ants in pest management. Annual Review of Entomology 37: 479-503.

Weselho RM (1989) Simulation of predation by ants based on direct observations on gypsy moth larvae. Canadian Entomologist 121: 1069-1076.

Whitcomb WH (1981) The use of predators in insect control, pp 105-123. In: Pimentel D (ed.), CRChandbook of pest management in agriculture, Volume II, 1-501.