Coincident Infestations of Aonidiella citrina and Coccus hesperidum, a Result of Ant Activity

Abstract

The locomotion of ants attending the honey rdew producing C. hesperidum also interferes with the searching and oviposition of Comperiella bi-fasciata, parasitic on the non-honey-dew producing A. citrina. This interference resulted in a localized outbreak of A. citrina in Redlands, Calif. When one of the host plants was freed of ants, both C. hesperidum and A. citrina disappeared.