Report of harvester ant Messor ebeninus Santschi damage on Camelina in Ahvaz

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Razi University of Kermanshah, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Camelina is an annual oilseed plant of the Brassicaceae. Resistance to some diseases and pests of other members of Brassicaceae plants is one of the important features of Camelina. In the experimental sowing of this plant in Ahvaz in the cropping year 2018-2019, while the seeds were still immature, silicles shattering was observed in some camelina plants in experimental plots. After careful observation, it was discovered that some ants were cutting off the plant silicles and transferring them to their nests. Damages by these ants to Camelina plants were not limited to availibility of plants on the farm. These damages were also observed at the time of harvesting and counting of yield components. The ant was identified as Messor ebeninus Santschi, 1927 (Myrmicinae: Formicidae). This species has previously been reported from northern and southwestern of Iran. Collected specimens are preserved in the insects and mites collection, at the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. This is the first report of insects damage to Camelina in Iran.

Keywords

References

Cerda, X. and Retana, J. 1994. Food exploitation patterns of two sympatric seed‐harvesting ants Messor bouvieri (Bond.) and Messor capitatus (Latr.) (Hym., Formicidae) from Spain. Journal of Applied Entomology 117: 268-277.
Chesnais, Q., Verzeaux, J., Couty, A., Le Roux, V. and Ameline, A. 2015. Is the oil seed crop Camelina sativa a potential host for aphid pests? BioEnergy Research 8(1): 91-99.
Paknia, O., Radchenko, A., Alipanah, H. and Peiffer, M. 2008. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Iran. Myrmecological News (11): 151-159.
Vollmann, J., Steinkellner, S.and Glauninger, J. 2001. Variation in resistance of camelina (Camelina sativa [L.] Crtz.) to downy mildew (Peronospora camelinae Gaum.). Journal of Phytopathology 149(3-4): 129-133.
Plant Pest Research
Volume 10, Issue 4
February 2021
Pages 91-94

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 February 2021
  • Accept Date: 22 February 2021

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