On the relationships between ants and parasites of coccids and aphids on citrus.

Abstract

The species of ants associated with honeydew-producing scale insects and aphids on citrus in Israel are listed. No notoriously aggressive species of ants have been encountered, and no serious ant-induced outbreaks of Homopterous pests have been recorded. Natural enemies usually exterminated ant-attended colonies of these pests. The composition of the parasite fauna supported by the soft brown scale, Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus, was found to be drastically altered in the presence of ants; species of Metaphycus and Microterys, dominant in sparse populations of the scale, were invariably displaced by Coccophagus spp. in dense, ant-attended colonies.