Diversity of ground-dwelling ant communities in lemon orchards in Ruili city

In order to explore the effects of plastic film mulching on the ground-dwelling ant communities in lemon orchards. The ground-dwelling ant communities were investigated by pitfall traps in three types of lemon orchards under plastic film mulching and conventional planting patterns in Ruili City, Yunnan Province. The result showed that: 276 ant individuals were collected in the lemon orchard RG, representing 17 species; 527 ant individuals were collected in the lemon orchard RH, representing 22 species; 273 ant individuals were collected in the lemon orchard RI, representing 16 species. There were significant differences of ground-dwelling ant relative abundance and species richness among the three types of lemon orchards, the relative abundance and species richness of ground-dwelling ants in lemon orchard RH were significantly higher than those in lemon orchard RG and lemon orchard RI. The community structure of ground-dwelling ant was not similar in 3 types of lemon orchards. Plastic film mulching decreased the relative abundance and species richness of ground-dwelling ants, Herbicides had no effect on the relative abundance and species richness of ground-dwelling ants in lemon orchard, but could change the community structure of ground-dwelling ants in Lemon orchards.