Citrophilus mealybug	-	Ant interference in biological control
	Longtailed mealybug		for all species combined
	Obscure mealybug

Ants feed on the honeydew of numerous species of mealybugs throughout the world. Aggressive ants 'milking' the mealybugs often interfere with the activities of mealybug parasitoids so that both the ants and the mealybugs benefit. In these circumstances, ant control frequently improves biological control by the parasitoids. For example, this has been demonstrated for Pseudococcus mealybug control in Israel and California. At least two ant species known to disrupt parasitoid control are present in New Zealand, Pheidole megacephala and Iridomyrmex humilis, but they have not yet been shown to cause mealybug outbreaks. The following ant species were observed 'farming' mealybugs during a survey of mealybug natural enemies from 1990-92.