Sacchett, F., Botton, M.I., & Diehl, E. 2009 Ant Species Associated With the Dispersal of Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Hempel in Wille) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) in Vineyards of the Serra Gaúcha, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.. Sociobiology 54(3): 943-954

Notes: The ground-pearl, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Hempel in Wille), is a hypogeic hemipteran that feeds on plant roots, being one of the major pests of vineyards. Ant species may account for the dispersal of scale insects, since the ants tend first instar nymphs for honeydew. This research was conducted to investigate, under experimental conditions, whether the ants also recognize and carry E. brasiliensiscysts. Therefore, choice experiments were conducted in two vineyards naturally infested with the ground-pearl, in the municipality of Bento Gon?alves, RS. From the 11 ant species observed visiting the cysts only two were actively dispersing them, Linepithema micans (Forel 1908) and an unidentified Pheidole species. This Pheidole species and the L. micans removed and carried E. brasiliensis cysts. The workers of L. micans visited the greatest amount of test plates, but the Pheidole sp.11 workers removed more cysts. Although both species were more active to disperse the hemipteran's cysts, L. micans workers were dominant in reference to the workers of Pheidole sp.11. Thus, in the vineyards where they occurred together; if the first species is controlled, the second species can become the main E. brasiliensis disperser.