PREDATORY ANTS IN ORCHARDS IN THE MEKONG DELTA OF VIETNAM

摘要

Fruit farmers in the Mekong Delta have a long tradition of ant husbandry, However, local knowledge is eroding fast as young farmers consider chemical crop protection as more modern than biological control. The black ant (Dolichoderus thoracicus) significantly suppresses populations of the fruit borer, Alophia sp., in sapodilla, whereas no significant difference has been found with regard to mealybugs. The weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) on the other hand, is extremely beneficial in controlling several major citrus pests These are the stinkbug, Rhynchocoris humeralis, the brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricidus, and several Papillio spp. among others. Current status of black ant and weaver ant in fruit orchards in the Mekong Delta is discussed, as well as ant husbandry techniques focussing on the introduction of nests, provision of food and refuge, and competition between both ant species.