ASIAN
MYRMECOLOGY

Asian Myrmecology, Volume 5, pages 151-161, published March 2013
DOI: 10.20362/am.005016

The composition of ant species on banana plants with Banana Bunchy-top Virus (BBTV) symptoms in West Sumatra, Indonesia

HENNY HERWINA^1*, NASRIL NASIR¹, JUM JUNIDANG² & YAHERWANDI³

Abstract:

A brief study on ant species on banana plants with Banana Bunchy-top Virus (BBTV) symptoms was conducted by direct collection in four regencies and one city of West Sumatra Province in Indonesia. During the sampling we found 39 banana plants with BBTV symptoms, of which 36 were occupied by insects, and of these 35 plants contained ants. A total of 24 species of ants, belonging to 16 genera, were collected. Myrmicinae was the subfamily with the highest number of species (11), followed by Formicinae (seven) and Dolichoderinae (six). Tetramorium and Technomyrmex were the genera with the most species (four). Dolichoderus thoracicus was found most frequently among samples, accounting for 16% of species occurrences, followed by Tapinoma melanocephalum and Paratrechina longicornis (11 and 10% respectively). Seventeen species of ants were found associated with aphids of which six showed a statistically-significant association, while seven ant species were not observed with trophobionts. Species that were found more often associated with aphids were found more frequently during the study.

Keywords:

ants; composition; banana; BBTV; West Sumatra; Indonesia

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¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Sciences, Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

²Indonesian Tropical Fruit Research Institute. Jl.Raya Solok Aripan km 8, Solok, West Sumatra, Indonesia

³ Department of Pest and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, Padang, West Sumatra, 25163, Indonesia

*Corresponding author: nuansaiman@gmail.com