红火蚁与扶桑绵粉蚧互惠关系对松粉蚧抑虱跳小蜂和美棘蓟马的影响

Interaction between ants and honeydew-producing insects is one of the important relationships between different species and play an important ecological function. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren is an important invasive pest and its impacts on biodiversity have been extensively recognized. However the ecological effects between S. invicta and honeydew-producing insects have not been well known. This study evaluated the impact of interaction between two invasive pests S. invicta Buren and mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley on the parasitoid insects and mealybug's competitive insects. Our result found that the attendance of S. invicta resulted in a significant reduction in the population number of an important mealybug parasitic wasp (Aenasius bambawalei Hayat) on host plants; improve the survival rate of the mealybug, which is contributed to the amplification and reproduction of the mealybug population. Presence of S. invicta also significantly reduce the number of both adults and larvae of thrips (Echinothrips americanus Morgan), which is a competitive insect of mealybug on the host; suppress the thrips population competitiveness, the mealybug possession host plants for the mealybug populations of breeding better conditions. Obviously, mutualism between S. invicta Buren and mealybug P. solenopsis Tinsley may be a comprehensive result through interactions of the S. invicta and other species.