Abstract
The study was conducted in selected districts of kafa, sheka and Benchi maji zones of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region of Ethiopia with an intention to identify the agroecological distribution level of cr. chiarinii ant. The study was under taken through collection of survey data from respondent beekeepers and conducting transect views. According to the survey result, of the total transect views covering 167 kms distances with 50 meters horizontal width and observation covered altitudes ranging from 800 to 2400 m.as.l. Nearly equivalent transect distances were considered for each agro ecologies (High land, mid land and low lands containing 60, 50 and 57 kilometers respectively). A total of 497 nests were counted during the transect. Of which 387 (77%) were counted in mid lands (1500-1900 m.a.s.l.); 60 (12%) of the nests counted in low lands ( 1900 to 2400 m.a.s.l.). The Proportions of respondents using Cr. chiarinii as biological protection means against D. quadratus varied from 19.17% in Benchi Maji zone to 43.33% in Sheka zone whith an overall mean of 27.78%. There is no significant varriation between male and females (at p<0.05) in using Cr. chiarinii as a potential biological pest prevention mechanism (28.4% versus 20.69%). In the curent study, the distribution of the ant was higher in mid lands (1500-1900m.a.s.l) and declining as we go up over 1900 m.a.s.l and lower than 1500 m.a.s.l. Particularly, in areas of extreme low altitudes the ant was noted to be very selective to areas with better moisture contents and is highly selective to areas with old trees and better vegetation cover is found. However, it is not selective to plant types and its distribution gets declining in areas with less forest coverage and intenssive cultivation is under taken.
Highlights
Ethiopia is one of the countires enriched with diverse agroclimatic features favoring for the existence of diverse florals and founas [1, 12, 13, 18, 19] and [22] which supports an estimate of 12 Million honeybee colonies grouped into five distictive races being A. m. scutellata, A. m. monticola, A. m. bandansi, A. m. woyi gambella and A. m. jementica [3, 10]
Out of which 6districts were purpossively selected from three zones (i.e. Chena, Gimbo and Gewata from Kafa zone; Guraferda and Debub Benchi districts from Benchi maji zone and Anderach district from Sheka zone) and three PAs were selected from each district representing High land, Mid land and Low land agro ecologicies to collect the relevant information
Chiarinii as biological control against D. quadratus varried from 19.17% in Benchi Maji zone to 43.33% in Sheka zone with an over all mean of 27.28%
Summary
Ethiopia is one of the countires enriched with diverse agroclimatic features favoring for the existence of diverse florals and founas [1, 12, 13, 18, 19] and [22] which supports an estimate of 12 Million honeybee colonies grouped into five distictive races being A. m. scutellata, A. m. monticola, A. m. bandansi, A. m. woyi gambella and A. m. jementica [3, 10]. The diverse agro climatic features are favorable for honeybees and favors the existence of various pests and predators which will directly or indirectly affecting honeybees and their products [9]. This includes ants (50.1%), wax moth (15.6%), spider (9.5%), lizard (8.9%), birds (11.7%) and honey badger (4.2%) [5]. According to study conducted in west and southwest Shoa zones, the economic losses of beekeeping due to ant attacks is estimated to reach 3,839,810 Ethiopian Birr annually [8]. This revealed the economic losses due to this pest are incredibly high country wise which is estimated to be about 29% of the total produce [10]
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