Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina

The economic losses associated with crop damage by invasive pests can be minimized by recognizing their potential impact before they spread into new areas or crops. We experimentally evaluated the preferences of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for the most common...

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Autores principales: Pérez, Silvia Paola, Corley, Juan Carlos, Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
Formato: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Wiley 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00515.x
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/5284
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00515.x
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author Pérez, Silvia Paola
Corley, Juan Carlos
Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
author_browse Corley, Juan Carlos
Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
Pérez, Silvia Paola
author_facet Pérez, Silvia Paola
Corley, Juan Carlos
Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
author_sort Pérez, Silvia Paola
collection INTA Digital
description The economic losses associated with crop damage by invasive pests can be minimized by recognizing their potential impact before they spread into new areas or crops. We experimentally evaluated the preferences of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for the most common conifer species commercially planted in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The areas of potential forest interest in this region and the geographical range of this ant overlap. We performed field preference tests and monitored the level of ant herbivory on planted conifer seedlings next to nests. Acromyrmex lobicornis preferred some conifer species and avoided foraging on others. Pseudotsuga menziesii and Austrocedrus chilensis were the less preferred species, Pinus ponderosa and Pinus contorta were the most preferred by A. lobicornis. The item mostly selected by ants was young needles from P. contorta. This species was also the pine mostly defoliated. Seedlings without ant‐exclusion showed a mean±SE of 60±5% defoliation during the sampling period. Pinus ponderosa was less defoliated; control seedlings showed a mean±SE of 8.5±1% of leaf damage in the sampling period. The present study shows how the use of simple field tests of leaf‐cutting ant preferences could allow an improved selection of appropriate conifer species for future plantations in areas where leaf‐cutting ants are present.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA52842019-06-10T17:17:40Z Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina Pérez, Silvia Paola Corley, Juan Carlos Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo Acromyrmex Formicidae Plagas de Plantas Plagas Forestales Pinus Pests of Plants Forest Pests Acromyrmex lobicornis Hormigas Región Patagónica The economic losses associated with crop damage by invasive pests can be minimized by recognizing their potential impact before they spread into new areas or crops. We experimentally evaluated the preferences of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for the most common conifer species commercially planted in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The areas of potential forest interest in this region and the geographical range of this ant overlap. We performed field preference tests and monitored the level of ant herbivory on planted conifer seedlings next to nests. Acromyrmex lobicornis preferred some conifer species and avoided foraging on others. Pseudotsuga menziesii and Austrocedrus chilensis were the less preferred species, Pinus ponderosa and Pinus contorta were the most preferred by A. lobicornis. The item mostly selected by ants was young needles from P. contorta. This species was also the pine mostly defoliated. Seedlings without ant‐exclusion showed a mean±SE of 60±5% defoliation during the sampling period. Pinus ponderosa was less defoliated; control seedlings showed a mean±SE of 8.5±1% of leaf damage in the sampling period. The present study shows how the use of simple field tests of leaf‐cutting ant preferences could allow an improved selection of appropriate conifer species for future plantations in areas where leaf‐cutting ants are present. EEA Bariloche Fil: Pérez, Silvia Paola. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentina Fil: Corley, Juan Carlos. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche. Grupo de Ecología de Poblaciones de Insectos; Argentina Fil: Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina 2019-06-10T13:21:34Z 2019-06-10T13:21:34Z 2011-05 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00515.x http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/5284 1461-9555 1461-9563 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00515.x eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Wiley Agricultural and Forest Entomology 13 (2) : 191-196 (May 2011)
spellingShingle Acromyrmex
Formicidae
Plagas de Plantas
Plagas Forestales
Pinus
Pests of Plants
Forest Pests
Acromyrmex lobicornis
Hormigas
Región Patagónica
Pérez, Silvia Paola
Corley, Juan Carlos
Farji Brener, Alejandro Gustavo
Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina
title Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina
title_full Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina
title_fullStr Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina
title_short Potential impact of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern Patagonia, Argentina
title_sort potential impact of the leaf cutting ant acromyrmex lobicornis on conifer plantations in northern patagonia argentina
topic Acromyrmex
Formicidae
Plagas de Plantas
Plagas Forestales
Pinus
Pests of Plants
Forest Pests
Acromyrmex lobicornis
Hormigas
Región Patagónica
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00515.x
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/5284
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00515.x
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