Ants (Azteca sp.) as potential biological control agents in shade coffee production in Chiapas, Mexico

The role of Azteca sp. ants as potential biological control agents was studied in an organic coffee farm in Chiapas, Mexico. Individual larvae of Pieris rapae were placed on trees with artificially enhanced ant activity and both time to disappearance of the larvae and ant activity were recorded. There was a general negative relationship between time to disappearance and ant activity. A census of spiders was made of coffee bushes with and without foraging Azteca, encountering a negative relationship between ants and spiders. These results indicate that Azteca ants have potential as pests through their positive effect on scale insects, but also have potential as biological control agents, through their negative effect on potential herbivores. Furthermore, the correlation between ant and spider densities suggests a complicated relationship between these two predatory organisms, implying a more complicated food web structure than simply ants, homoptera and other herbivores.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Vandermeer, J. 127341, 104494 Perfecto, I., 79459 Ibarra Nuñez, G., 105075 Phillpott, S., 70337 García Ballinas, A.
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	2002
Subjects:	CONTROL INTEGRADO, ARBOLES DE SOMBRA, COFFEA, LARVAS, ARANEAE, CONTROL BIOLOGICO, AGENTES DE CONTROL BIOLOGICO, INSECTOS DAÑINOS, LUCHA INTEGRADA, LARVAE, PLAGAS DE PLANTAS, PLANTAS DE SOMBRA, PIERIS RAPAE, MEXICO,
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