Colony inhibition and abundance of Oecophylla smaragdina in Krishnagiri districts of Tamil Nadu

Abstract Colony inhibition and abundance of Oecophylla smaragdina nest were identified and reported in the krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu by all out search method. Twenty seven under seventeen families were recorded for the presence of Oecophylla smaragdina. Colony inhibition of Oecophylla smaragdina occurred in 20 plant hosts for all the six months. In Pongamia pinnata, Oecophylla smaragdina occupied only for the lowest number of period as two months. Numbers of nests were more in Mangifera indica (42.67), Citrus limon (29.17), Azadirachta indica (23.50) and less number of nests were found in Pongamia pinnata (15.50), Manilkara zapota (15.33), Hibiscus rosa sinensis (12.83) and Morinda citrifolia(8.00).