Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina, Hymenoptera) have been used for more than 2,000 years for the suppression of insect pests in Asian mango and citrus orchards, thus constituting the oldest known example of biological control in agriculture. Yet, in the Mekong Delta, pockets of smallholder farmers are still conserving weaver ant populations and relying upon these beneficial insects to keep pests at bay, especially in cashew plantations. Weaver ants are found naturally in organic plantations but their benefits are often unknown, as far as the possibility of increasing their population as a way to manage insect pests.
