STUDY OF MUTUALISTIC ANTS ASSOCIATED WITH APHIS CRACCIVORA (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE) ON VARIOUS HOST PLANTS OF FAMILY FABACEAE IN NORTHEAST BIHAR (INDIA)

Abstract

Aphids are the soft bodied homopteran bugs infesting almost all types of agricultural and horticultural plants and cause considerable loss because of their polymorphism, parthenogenetic development, host alternating behaviour and ability of transmission of viral diseases. Aphids and ants have great mutualistic relationship where both partners may derived benefits from this association and has strong interaction with various host plants. The association of Aphis craccivora with ants was studied on six plants of family Fabaceae (Cajanus cajan, Lablab purpureus, Phaseolus sinensis, Vicia faba, Vigna mungo and Vigna radiata). Eleven species of aphidocolous ants viz., Camponotus compressus (Fab.), Camponotus invidus Forel, Camponotus sp., Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr), Meranoplus bicolor (Guérin-Méneville), Monomorium latinode Mayr, Monomorium pharaonis (Linn.), Paratrecina longicornis (Latreille), Pheidole sp., Polyrhachis hauxwelli (Bingham) and Tetraponera rufonigra (Jerdon) belong to 3 subfamilies (Formicinae, Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmicinae) were recorded from northeast Bihar for the first time. The maximum association of ants was observed on L. purpureus and P. sinensis followed by V. faba and V. radiata. The association of C. compressus and M. bicolor was greater on all host plants with A. craccivora than other aphids. However, P. longicornis and T. rufonigra were recorded on only one host plant with low extent.