New records of host plants used by a weaver ants Camponotus textor Forel, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Authors

  • Jean Carlos Santos Universidade Federal de Uberlândia
  • Jonas José Mendes Aguiar Universidade de São Paulo
  • Tatiana Rosa Alves
  • Wanessa Rejane Almeida
  • Kleber Del-Claro

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24221/jeap.1.1.2016.966.111-116

Keywords:

brazilian savannah, Camponotus senex, host plant, nest, nidification, survey

Abstract

Weaver ants nest on plants but the extent of such associations is unknown for many species. Literature records of weaver ant host plants from 1945 to 2016 showed that Camponotus textor Forel, 1899 (= Camponotus senex), the brazilian savanna weaver ant, was recorded on 17 plant species belonging to 11 families. Our field survey recorded nine plant species in eight families at Brazilian Cerrado. Overall, we expanded the list to a total of 24 host plant species and 14 families, including economically important tree species as mango, citrus and jambo trees. Such host plants could be used to augment establishment of weaver ants, facilitating their role in biocontrol as deterrents of phytophagous insect pests of economically important plants.

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Published

2016-10-13

How to Cite

Santos, J. C., Aguiar, J. J. M., Alves, T. R., Almeida, W. R., & Del-Claro, K. (2016). New records of host plants used by a weaver ants Camponotus textor Forel, 1899 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Environmental Analysis and Progress, 1(1), 111–116. https://doi.org/10.24221/jeap.1.1.2016.966.111-116