The mutualism of Melissotarsus ants and armoured scale insects in Africa and Magadascar: distribution, host plants and biology

PDF
Published: Jan 8, 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/eh.11571
Keywords:
Coccoidea Diaspididae scale insects Melissotarsus ants mutualism Africa Madagascar
Y. Ben-Dov
Department of Entomology, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center
B.L. Fisher
Department of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences
Abstract
Species of the ant genus Melissotarsus Emery are widespread in the Afrotropical region (three species, namely M. beccarii Emery, M. emeryi Forel and M. weissi Santschi) and in the Madagascar region (one species, namely M. insularis Santschi). The ants of all these species tunnel their galleries in live wood of various dicotyledonous trees, close to the bark surface. The ants maintain within these galleries populations of different species of armoured scale insects. A review is presented on the geographical distribution of mutualism, of the Melissotarsus species, the associated 10 species of armoured scale insects, and the host plants on which the mutualism takes place. The ecology of the mutualism is discussed also, together with suggestions on the benefits that the partners gain from the associations.
Article Details
  • Section
  • Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 license.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Ben-Dov, Y. 1978. Andaspis formicarum n. sp. (Homoptera, Diaspididae) associated with a species of Melissotarsus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in South Africa. Insectes Sociaux 25: 315–32l.
Ben-Dov, Y. 1990. Relationships with ants. In: D. Rosen. (Editor). Armored scale insects their biology, natural enemies and control, World Crop Pests [Vol. 4A]. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 339–343 pp.
Ben-Dov, Y. 2010. On new taxa and some described armoured scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) living in the galleries of the ant Melissotarsus insularis Santschi (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Madagascar. Zootaxa 2368: 49-58.
Ben-Dov, Y. and D. Matile-Ferrero. 1984. On the association of ants, genus Melissotarsus, (Formicidae) with armoured scale insects (Diaspididae) in Africa. pp. 378–380. In: Z. Kaszab (Editor). Proceedings of the 19th International Central European Entomofaunistical Symposium, Budapest, Hungary, 15-20 August 1983. Muzsak Kozmuvelodesi Kiado, Budapest.
Bolton, G. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmicine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor andCataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 45: 307–370.
Collingwood, C.A. 1985. Hymenoptera: Fam. Formicidae of Saudi Arabia. Fauna of Saudi Arabia 7: 230-302.
DeJean, A. and R. Mony. 1991. Attaques d'arbres fruitiers tropicaux par les fourmis du genre Melissotarsus (Emery) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) associées aux Homopteres Diaspididae. Act. Colloq. Insect. S. 7: 179–187.
Delage-Darchen, B. 1972. Une fourmi de Cote-d'Ivoire: Melissotarsus titubans Del., n. sp. Insect. Soc. 19: 213–226.
Delage-Darchen, B., D. Matile-Ferrero, and A.B. Balachowsky. 1972. Sur un cas aberrant de symbiose Cochenilles X fourmis. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie de Science, Paris (Serie D) 275: 2359–236l.
Emery, C. 1877. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni de Museo Civico di Genova. Parte prima. Formiche provenienti dal viaggio dei signori Antinori, Beccari et Issel nel Mar Rosso et nel paese dei Bogos. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 9: 363-381.
Fisher, B.L. and H.G. Robertson. 1999. Silk production by adult workers of the ant Melissotarsus emeryi (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in South African fynbos. Insect. Soc. 46: 78-83.
Forel, A. 1907. Fourmis d’Ethiopie. Revue d’Entomologie 26: 129-144.
Gullan, P.J. 1997. 1.3.5 Relationships with ants. In: Ben-Dov, Y. and C.J., Hodgson, (Editors). Soft Scale Insects: Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control [Vol. 7A]. Elsevier, Amsterdam & New York. 351–373 pp.
Mony, R., M. Kenne, J. Orivel and A. Dejean. 2002. Biology and ecology of pest ants of the genus Melissotarsus (Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with special reference to tropical fruit tree attacks. Sociobiology 40: 645–654.
Mony, R., B.L. Fisher, M. Kenne, M. Tindo, and A. Dejean. 2007. Behavioural Ecology of Bark-digging Ants of the Genus Melissotarsus. Functional Ecosystems and Communities 1: 121-128.
Nixon, C.E.J. 1951. The association of ants with aphids and coccids. Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London, 36 pp.
Prins, A.J., Y. Ben-Dov and D.J. Rust. 1975. A new observation on the association between ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and armoured scale insects (Homoptera: Diaspididae). J. Entomol. Soc. S. Afr. 38: 211–216.
Santschi, F. 1910. Formicides nouveaux ou peu connus du Congo français. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 78: 349-400.
Santschi, F. 1911. Nouvelles fourmis de Madagascar. Rev. Suisse Zool. 19: 117–134.
Staal, G.B. 1975. Insect growth regulators with juvenile hormone activity. An. Rev. Entomol. 20: 417-460.
Way, M.J. 1963. Mutualism between ants and honeydew-producing Homoptera. An. Rev. Entomol. 8: 307–344.
Wilson, E.O. 1971. The Insect Societies. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 548 pp.
Most read articles by the same author(s)