Full Length Research Paper

Ants and Phragmanthera capitata (Sprengel), Balle (Loranthaceae) impacts on considerable damages caused on fruit trees of the Ndogbong (Douala, Cameroon) chieftaincy’s orchard

Mony Ruth¹, Dibong Siegfried Didier²*, Ondoua Joseph Marie², Boussim Issaka Joseph³, Amougou Akoa⁴ and Bilong Bilong⁵

¹Department of the Biology of Animal Organisms, Faculty of Science, P. O. Box 24157, University of Douala, Cameroon.

²Department of the Biology of Plant Organisms, Faculty of Science, P. O. Box 24157, University of Douala, Cameroon.

³Laboratory of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Ouagadougou 03 P. O. Box 848, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.

⁴Department of Plant Biology and Physiology, P. O. Box 812, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon.

⁵Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, P. O. Box 812, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: didierdibong@yahoo.fr.

Accepted 22 December, 2009

 Abstract

Among the Loranthaceae, Phragmanthera capitata is better adapted to the conditions of the environment modified by man and to spontaneous or cultivated trees of Central Africa. The aim of this study is to inventory damages caused by Loranthaceae and ant trees on parasitized host trees (Citrus maxima, Psidium guajava and Theobroma cacao). Five main ant species are identified on three host trees: Camponotus sp, Camponotus senex, Odontomachus longicornis, Pheidole megacephala and Tetramorium bellicosum. P. capitata parasitism affects the repartition of ant species of which some can become dominant and harmful to the host plants.  The results of P. capitata combined actions and ant species are notably the branches drying and the fruit wood heart rottenness. Often considerable yields loss are very perceptible on old host individuals which make up “real green graveyards” in agroecosystems. It is essential to promote the agroecology which permits to master host species/Loranthaceae/ant interactions.

Key words: Phragmanthera capitata, ant trees, parasitism, yields loss.