Role of Ants in Pest Management

Abstract

Ants, with an estimated world population of 1015 adults (188), are most abundant in the tropics where in rain forests they may represent between one third and half of the insect biomass (32). About two hundred species of ants have been recorded in one locality in Papua New Guinea (187), and they also retain rich diversity in some tropical crops (76, 134). In general, ants are less common, with fewer species, outside the tropics (120, 187), but they may still be ecologically important, as in a European grassland where about 140 workers per m2 consumed approximately 200 times their biomass annually (71). They are usually least common and diverse in disturbed arable habitats (120). In view of their abundance, their stability as populations, and their feeding habits, ants have a major influence in many habitats (17,30,45,59,63, 118, 127, 188). As predators of pests, they may be useful in pest management, but such positive attributes must be weighed against possible disadvantages. Besides acting as biological-control agents, some ants are important in pollination, soil improvement, and nutrient cycling (45). In contrast, some feed on or disturb plants and may act as vectors of plant diseases, benefit