Indonesian Chocolate is Toad-ally OK
September 28, 2010
The Sulawesian toad (Ingerophrynus celebensis) has hero status on cocoa farms in Indonesia.
German and Australian agriculture scientists have discovered the amphibian predator is eliminating a nasty pest to cocoa, the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes).
The yellow crazy ants got their name from their color and their zigzag scurrying behavior. They are a non-native, invasive insect that can bring devastation to cacao crops. They nest in large supercolonies and have super appetites, too.
Up until now, it’s been the native ants role to help keep cacao protected from certain pests and diseases, but the yellow crazy ant has pushed out the native ant species and disrupted the delicate balance within the ecosystem.
Here is where our super hero comes in. Every three months or so, Sulawesian toads leave their home in the forest and march through the cacao plantations to breed in the water of near by rice fields.
As they come through the cacao farms, they feast on yellow crazy ants and researchers say they can deplete a crazy ant population by one third. The toads prefer the invader ants over the indigenous ones.
Many farmers will be trained to encourage the use of toads as free pest-control agents all year round.
Go toads!
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