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Foraging Behaviour and Population Dynamics of Asian Weaver Ants: Assessing its Potential as Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Bagworms Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Oil Palm Plantations
Exélis, M.P.; Ramli, R.; Ibrahim, R.W.; Idris, A.H. Foraging Behaviour and Population Dynamics of Asian Weaver Ants: Assessing Its Potential as Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Bagworms Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Oil Palm Plantations. Sustainability2023, 15, 780.
Exélis, M.P.; Ramli, R.; Ibrahim, R.W.; Idris, A.H. Foraging Behaviour and Population Dynamics of Asian Weaver Ants: Assessing Its Potential as Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Bagworms Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Oil Palm Plantations. Sustainability 2023, 15, 780.
Exélis, M.P.; Ramli, R.; Ibrahim, R.W.; Idris, A.H. Foraging Behaviour and Population Dynamics of Asian Weaver Ants: Assessing Its Potential as Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Bagworms Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Oil Palm Plantations. Sustainability2023, 15, 780.
Exélis, M.P.; Ramli, R.; Ibrahim, R.W.; Idris, A.H. Foraging Behaviour and Population Dynamics of Asian Weaver Ants: Assessing Its Potential as Biological Control Agent of the Invasive Bagworms Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) in Oil Palm Plantations. Sustainability 2023, 15, 780.
Abstract
The bagworms Metisa plana is a recurrent indigenous invasive defoliator in oil palm plantations. A moderate foliar injury can cost up to 40% and above of yield loss for years. As an effective biological control agent (BCA) or by integrated pest management (IPM) on insect pests of economic significance affecting major crops of the countries in Asia-Pacific region, the adoption of the Asian weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina might support farmers facing outbreaks. Information about the foraging activity and population dynamic (PD) of Oecophylla are important in implementing such program. Oecophylla being an obligate arboreal by nature was observed spending extended periods on the ground by occupying a vast territory under constant surveillance mode, which is significant and valuable feature for pest control. The foraging activity of major workers, their exploratory venture is closely related to systematic predation-hunting activity. The scarcity of population dynamic studies on the Oecophylla species contrast with the reports frequency of subterranean species. Estimation of population density of Oecophylla by direct nest counting method is feasible, practical and sustainable. This is contrasting with calculation done on excavated underground colonies consequential of their extinction. Simulation inaccuracy due to insufficient experimental evidence from using exclusively mathematical models is giving to real time long term field population dynamic more importance. Oecophylla colonies' stability, forager abundance and permanent patrol hunting oriented activity, are key factors for pest reduction. If the evaluation on O. smaragdina is higher, for this last decade, a significant upsurge of study on O. longinoda provided substantial novel highlights. The introduction of Oecophylla may alleviate pests management cost and offers a healthier environment by stopping the harmful usage of broad spectrum contact pesticides.
Keywords
Oecophylla genus; population abundance; territorial foragers; quarantine defoliators; IPM
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Insect Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The commenter has declared there is no conflict of interests.
Comment:
The Asian weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina is an obligate arboreal ants in nature with an economic interest in the Asian tropics for its potential as an efficient, low-cost biological control agent in commercial crops, such as cashew-nuts, orange, citrus, cocoa and recently oil palm trees. Despite their important role in the plantation, however the study on the ecology and behaviour of the O. smaragdina is still lacking and not discovered. The objectives of this review were to examine other studies in order to understand weaver ant ecology. This understanding can be used to suggest the novel idea of the invasive bagworms Metisa plana species control treatment by the Oecophylla ants as generalist predator. This review articulate the information on O. smaragdina foraging behaviors, population dynamic, the benefits and challengers faced by plantation owner if they adopt weaver ants to mitigating solutions of invasive bagworm infestation. It finally exposes recent research development towards adoption of weaver ants in agriculture.
Aggressive arboreal ants provide better leverage as a component of Integrated Pest Management. In addition, the adoption of weaver ants to control this quarantine defoliators might alleviate the planter’s budget burden. Such complementary green technology adoption might reduce or substitute the dependency on the standard extensive use of highly toxic broad spectrum contact pesticides like cypermethrin. This alone is a sustainable orientation act. The review further explain that nuisance setback faced by plantations employees can be minimized following the daily lowest foragers activity periods corresponding to early morning time before 1000 hours with a regular light to moderate rainfall interception (foragers less aggressive, active).
Commenter:
The commenter has declared there is no conflict of interests.
Aggressive arboreal ants provide better leverage as a component of Integrated Pest Management. In addition, the adoption of weaver ants to control this quarantine defoliators might alleviate the planter’s budget burden. Such complementary green technology adoption might reduce or substitute the dependency on the standard extensive use of highly toxic broad spectrum contact pesticides like cypermethrin. This alone is a sustainable orientation act. The review further explain that nuisance setback faced by plantations employees can be minimized following the daily lowest foragers activity periods corresponding to early morning time before 1000 hours with a regular light to moderate rainfall interception (foragers less aggressive, active).