Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1985 Influence of Vegetation Manipulation and Selected Cultural Practices on Predation in Louisiana Sugarcane Ecosystems (Saccharum, Sorghum, Solenopsis, Spiders, Araneae). Ahmed Daoud Ali Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Ali, Ahmed Daoud, "Influence of Vegetation Manipulation and Selected Cultural Practices on Predation in Louisiana Sugarcane Ecosystems (Saccharum, Sorghum, Solenopsis, Spiders, Araneae)." (1985). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4114. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4114 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. 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International 8610624 Ati, Ahmed Daoud INFLUENCE OF VEGETATION MANIPULATION AND SELECTED CULTURAL PRACTICES ON PREDATION IN LOUISIANA SUGARCANE ECOSYSTEMS The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col. Ph.D. 1985 University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V . 1. Glossy photographs or pages ______ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print _______ 3. Photographs with dark background _____ 4. Illustrations are poor copy _____ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy ______ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of p a g e _______ 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages 8. Print exceeds margin requirements ______ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine_______ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print _______ 11. Page(s) _________lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s) _______seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages num bered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages ____ 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received ________ 16. Other _____________________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International INFLUENCE OF VEGETATION MANIPULATION AND SELECTED CULTURAL PRACTICES ON PREDATION IN LOUISIANA SUGARCANE ECOSYSTEMS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Entomology by Ahmed D. Ali B.S., University of California at Davis, 1979 M.S., University of California at Davis, 1981 December 1985 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the owners of Levert-St. John, Sugarland, and Lannaux sugarcane plantations for allowing us access to set up experimental tests on their properties. Special thanks are given to Mr. Jeff Flynn, a friend and colleague, who made a tremendous contribution to data gathering and field work in the past 4 years. My gratitude is also expressed to fellow graduate students Billy Fuller, Allan Showier, Roger Vines, and Emmanuel Ogunwolu who assisted in field operations. Thanks are given to Dr. C. D. Dondale of the Biosystematics Research Institute in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for identification and/or confirmation of spider specimens. Special thanks are given to Drs. G. B. Edwards of the Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Gainesville, FI., and H. W. Levi of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., for studying with them parts of their collections. Special thanks are given to Dr. W. H. Hudnall of the LSU Department of Agronomy for analysis of soil samples, and for constructive comments regarding one of the chapters reported herein. I would like to express my gratitude to the administrators of the College of Agriculture, especially the late Dean Prentiss E. Schilling, and the International Teaching and Research Foundation for Agricultural Sciences for providing my assistantship support. I am grateful to the members of my graduate committee, Drs. L. D. Newsom and J. B. Graves of the Department of Entomology, L. M. Kitchen of the Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, K. L. Koonce of the Department of Experimental Statistics, and L. E. Urbatsch of the Department of Botany, Louisiana State University, for their guidance and constructive comments which facilitated publishing the majority of the chapters reported herein. Special thanks are given to my major professor Dr. T. E. Reagan, a friend and trustworthy team leader, who provided much guidance and support during the past 4 years. Although his insistence on publishing my work seemed burdensome at times, in retrospect, I appreciate his wise and valuable advice for it has provided me with the competitive edge in our present academic system where "Publish or Perish" is the rule. Finally, I would like to thank my dear wife, Rebecca, for her gentle and warm moral support through the ups and downs of my graduate program. I also would like to express my thanks to my brother, Dr. Ali D. Ali, who supported me morally and financially over the past few years. And most of all I would like to express my deepest respect and sincerest appreciation to my father and mother, Drs. Daoud S. Ali and Suad K. Ismail, to whom I will be indebted forever. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.................................................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES.................................................. ix ABSTRACT......................................................... x INTRODUCTION..................................................... 1 LITERATURE REVIEW................................................ 5 I. Vegetation manipulation and predation in Louisiana sugarcane. 5 II. Imported fire ant (IFA) foraging in sugarcane............... 5 III. Effects of cultural practices and soil types on IFA populations........... 6 IV. Spiders in Louisiana sugarcane........... „................. 7 V. Johnsongrass interference with sugarcane.................... 8 CHAPTER I. VEGETATION MANIPULATION IMPACT ON PREDATOR AND PREY POPULATIONS IN LOUISIANA SUGARCANE ECOSYSTEMS......... 9 Introduction................................................... 10 Materials and Methods.......................................... 11 Results............... 14 Discussion..................................................... 25 References Cited............................................... 28 CHAPTER II. INFLUENCE OF SELECTED WEEDY AND WEED-FREE SUGARCANE HABITATS ON DIET COMPOSITION AND FORAGING ACTIVITY OF THE IMPORTED FIRE ANT (HYMENOPTERA:FORMICIDAE) 31 Introduction.......... 32 Materials and Methods.......................................... 33 Results........................................................ 35 Discussion..................................................... 42 References Cited........................................... 46 CHAPTER III. EFFECTS OF SELECTED SOIL TYPES AND CULTURAL PRACTICES ON ABUNDANCE OF Solenopsis invicta Buren (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) IN A PERENNIAL FIELD CROP SYSTEM......... 49 Introduction................................................... 50 Materials and Methods.......................................... 51 Results........................................................ 54 Discussion..................................................... 59 References .................................................... 64 iv Page CHAPTER IV. INFLUENCE OF SELECTED WEED CONTROL PRACTICES ON ARANEID FAUNAL COMPOSITION AND ABUNDANCE IN SUGARCANE. 66 Introduction..................................................