EFFECT OF INSECTICIDE TREATMENT ON ARBOREAL ANT COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN SMALL HOLDER COCOA FARM IN THE CENTRE REGION OF CAMEROON

To understand the effect of anthropogenic disturbances, mainly related to insecticide treatment on ant community structure, the present study was conducted on Cameroonian cocoa farms during two consecutive crop cycles. Ant sampling was based on chemical knock down in three smallholding cocoa farms selected in three different agro-ecological zones in the Centre Region of Cameroon. The C-score was used for null model analysis in order to detect deterministic factor of ant community structure and Spearman correlation test to screen relationship between pair species. Seven ant species were identified as a numerically dominant: Crematogaster clariventris, Crematogaster gabonensis, Crematogaster striatula, Camponotus vividus, Cataulacus guineensis, Tetramorium aculeatum and Oecophylla longinoda. Ant communities were structured by the competition and negative relationship were found between dominant species. Insecticide-treatments affected the ant community structure by favoring the acquisition of the dominant status by non-dominant species.