Abstract

VAZQUEZ MORENO, Luis. L et al. Diversity of Ants Species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Coffe Plantations Affected by Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Fitosanidad [online]. 2009, vol.13, n.3, pp. 163-168. ISSN 1818-1686.

The conservation of coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) natural enemies has great importance for Cuban coffee plantations; in this way a study of ants predators was carried out in the Empresa Cafetalera Bahía Honda, in Pinar del Río province during the crop of 2006, monthly evaluation was realized in six coffee plantations located to 200 meters some of other, with different soil and shade management. Ants was sampling in three vertical strata by means of trapping stations. In the own plants the index of coffee berry borer infestation was evaluated in each one of three productive branches by level. There were captured 1473 individuals of five ants species: Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger), Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius), Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander), Monomorium floricola (Jerdon) and Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius), the most abundant species was W. auropunctata. A bigger diversity of ants was observed in the order of preference floor>stem>bearing; traditional field type with forest trees, wrap pruning and cocoa tree trash reached the biggest diversity in the three studied strata. A narrow relationship was observed among the fields of smaller H. hampei infestation index and those of more antsspecies diversity, where T. bicarinatum and S. geminata prevailed, this suggests the necessity to continue the study of ants potentialities as biological controllers.

Keywords : coffee; Hypothenemus hampei; predator ants; Cuba.

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