Cutting preference of Acromyrmex ambiguus Emery 1887 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by three peach cultivars under laboratory conditions

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the cutting preference of Acromyrmex ambiguus, in three cultivars of peach. Leaves of the rootstocks cultivars Okinawa and Tsukuba 1 and the cultivar Capdeboscq were offered simultaneously to three A. ambiguus colonies maintained at the Mirmecology Laboratory of UFPel. The experiment ended six hours after beginning. The colonies cut and carried an average of 1.44 ± 0.01 g of Tsukuba, 1, 1.27 ± 0.13g of Capdeboscq and 1.07 ± 0.16 g of Okinawa leaves. However, there wasn’t significant difference between the means of leaf mass consumed from the three cultivars (P = 0,42). Therefore, it was concluded that none of the tested cultivars is less preferred by A. ambiguus when offered under laboratory conditions. Nevertheless, new studies should be conducted using a larger number of cultivars, because the discovery of resistant plants can significantly contribute to the integrated management of leafcutting ants in orchards.