Elucidating the daily foraging activity pattern of Oecophylla smaragdina to minimize bite nuisances in Asia large agro-system plantations.

ABSTRACT: Oecophylla smaragdina F., the Asian weaver ant, is one of the oil palm plantation's (Elaeis guineensis) potential predators, for the invasive bagworm species Metisa plana Walker, but this ant is a nuisance species that irritates plantation workers with their sharp bites. Here we assess the foraging activities (FA) of O. smaragdina's major workers, identify its inactive times and the existence of supervision, a novelty for social insects. Between 2018 and 2022, the pattern of trunk foraging activity was used as a mitigation measure. The relationship between trunk FA and air temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH), air pressure (AP), and rainfall interception (RI) was also investigated. Our results showed that, O. smaragdina is a strictly diurnal an

SUBMITTER: Exelis MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10906178 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature