Mango

Weaver Ant

Oecophylla smaragdina

Insect

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In a Nutshell

  • Webbed leaves with white substance.
  • Orange colored ants.
  • Nests are found in forest trees, but can also be seen in high up crevices including roofs and telegraph poles.

Can also be found in

2 Crops
Citrus
Mango

Mango

Symptoms

Leaves are weaved together with a white paperish substance forming the ant nest. It can be as big as a fist or a human head. Aphids and scales might be present near the nests. They are best known for their remarkable nest construction. Weaver ants create very strong ant chains by linking legs to pull and bend leaves into desired tent like positions, using precise coordination. The ants then use their own larvae to secrete a silk that is used by the leaves together to create a nest. Several nests may dominate a tree at once.

Recommendations

Organic Control

Natural predators like Agama agama, Geocoris ochropterus, Niphopyrallis chionesis and parasitoids like Smicromorpha keralensis help manage the pest population. Bacillus thuringiensis has been successful in reducing the pest incident.

Chemical Control

Always consider an integrated approach with preventive measures together with biological treatments if available. Chemical spray should be intended to remove nests as the weaver ant is a bio agent.

What caused it?

The symptoms are caused by weaver ants, Oecophylla smaragdina. Their name is due to the green coloration of their queens. These ants are often used as biocontrol agents against other pests, eating small insects or arthropods. Since they live in a mutual relationship with aphids and scales to feed on the honeydew it can cause indirect damage. Their colonies can be as big as half a million ants, worker ants are either 5-6 mm or 8-10 mm big and orange in colour. The nests are built during the night with the help of the silk producing larvae. Weaver ants are common in tropical climates of Asia, Australia, and the Western Pacific. Stings of Oecophylla smaragdina are painful. Weaver ants are typically around 20-25 mm. They are normally greenish brown. They are very aggressive territorial ants and they have been used to control agricultural pests over the years. Weaver ants have a vice like grip and tremendous strength.

Preventive Measures

  • Carefully remove and destroy the nests mechanically.
  • Create smoke to drive the ants if nest is small and later to remove nests.

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