Parasitoid and Parasitization of Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) in South Sumatera

Surveys from May 2003 to January 2004 in South Sumatera were conducted to determine parasitoid attacking Plutella xylostella (L.) and to estimate P. xylostella parasitization by the parasitoids. The eggs and the larvae of P. xylostella were collected from brassicaceous crops, i.e. mustard, Indian mustard, and cabbage. Six parasitoids found were Trichogrammatoidea cojuangcoi Nagaraja (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), Cotesia plutellae (Kurdj.) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Diadegma semiclausum Hellen (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Oomyzus sokolowskii (Kurdj.) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Tetrastichus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and a ceraphronid wasp (unidentified species). Trichogrammatoidea cojuangcoi parasitized P. xylostella eggs, however, the others parasitized the larvae except the ceraphronid wasp. In South Sumatera, the ceraphronid wasp was reported for the first time parasitizing D. semiclausum pupae, and its parasitization reached 6.2%. Oomyzus sokolowskii and Tetrastichus were found in this area for the first time, as well. In the highland, D. semiclausum was the most abundant compared to the others where its parasitization reached 79.2%. In the lowland P. xylostella larvae was mainly attacked by C. plutellae with the parasitization reaching 64.9%. In the dry and rainy seasons, the parasitization was mainly exerted by T. cojuangcoi (77.0%) and D. semiclausum (79.2%)

Pengembangan Pengendalian Hayati Hama Sawit dan Pajale

Herlinda et al, 2019. Development of Biological Control for Pests of Oil Palm and Rice-Corn-Soybean. pp. 1-12.Biological control for  pest insects is an activity of predator, parasitoid or entomopathogen in decreasing pest populations, it makes the populations lower. This paper was written based on information and both primary and secondary data. The development of biological control in oil palm plantations was currently dominated by conservation of predatory arthropods and parasitoid by utilizing refugia. The refugia that were widely used were Turnera subulata, Turnera ulmifolia, Antigonon leptopus, and Cassia cobanensis. In addition to refugia, palm oil plantations currently utilized a lot of entomopathogens, both entomopathogenic fungi and viruses. Entomopathogenic fungi that had been widely developed were Metarhizium anisoplia, Metarhizium majus, and Cordyceps militaris, while entomopathogenic viruses were used, such as the Nudaurelia ß virus and Multi-Nucleo Polyhydro Virus (MNPV) and Rhabdionvirus oryctes. The use of parasitoid in oil palm plantations was not as intensive as the use of entomopathogen and refugia. The development of biological control in rice, corn, and soybeans (“pajale”) generally used  conservation approach for natural enemies that prioritized habitat management, for example intercropping which was able to provide habitats and niches for predators and parasitoids. The use of entomopathogens to control pests in “pajale” was less intensive because it is constrained by the micro climate in “pajale” ecosystems was less ideal,  due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity are relatively more higher than in the oil palm ecosystem. The predators that were dominant in “pajale” were hunter spiders, for example Pardosa pseudoannulata while predominantly parasitoid was oligophagous or polyphagous parasitoids.  Thus, it can be concluded that the development of biological control in oil palm and “pajale” is slightly different, in oil palm natural enemies are easier to settle because the ecosystem is more stable, whereas in “pajale” ecosystems, the natural enemies of the entomopathogens are less able to settle due to less stable micro climate

Konservasi Entomofaga dan Polinator di Rawa Lebak untuk Mendukung Keberlajutan Pertanian di Lahan Suboptimal

Herlinda, S.,  & Sari, J.M.P.S. (2023). Conservation of entomophages and pollinators in freshwater swamps to support agricultural sustainability on suboptimal lands. In: Herlinda S et al. (Eds.), Prosiding Seminar Nasional Lahan Suboptimal ke-11 Tahun 2023, Palembang 21 Oktober 2023. (pp. 1-24).  Palembang: Penerbit & Percetakan Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI).Suboptimal wetlands in Indonesia consist of freshwater swamp, tidal lowland and peatland. The freshwater swamp can generally be used to grow food crops, vegetables and plantations. In the freshwater swamp of South Sumatra, farmers grow vegetables using the "surjan" (rice-field bund) system in addition to rice and corn. The cultivation of vegetables between rice fields in the "surjan" system is very beneficial to the balance of the ecosystem, especially by increasing the diversity of flora, which can increase the diversity of fauna, especially predatory arthropods and parasitoids (entomophagous insects) and pollinators. The abundance of these entomophages and pollinators needs to be increased through conservation. This paper explains the approach to conservation of entomophagous and pollinators by 1) reducing disturbance factors, 2) increasing the habitats and food resources (niches) needed by entomophagous and pollinators. This literature review has shown that in freshwater swamps, factors that disrupt the lives of entomophagous and pollinating insects include land burning, spraying of synthetic insecticides and herbicides, intensive cultivation (full tillage), and clean cultivation. Factors that disrupt the lives of entomophagous insects and pollinators should be avoided by not burning land, not spraying synthetic insecticides and herbicides, and minimising tillage to allow annual wild plants to flower on embankments. Flowering annual wild plants provide food for entomophagous insects and pollinators. However, many factors that support the life of entomophages and pollinators in freshwater swamps have also been identified and have been implemented by local farmers and have become local wisdom. The intercropping of long beans and chillies and the planting of flowering vegetables such as bitter melon, cucumbers, long beans and squash could support the sustainability of entomophages and pollinators by providing niches (food, nectar and pollen) and alternative host insects and prey for predators. The use of cover crops or straw mulch on chilli fields could provide habitat for predatory arthropods. Finally, entomophages and pollinators can be conserved by reducing and preventing activities that threaten their lives and by increasing space/habitat and food resources

Main and Ratooned Rice Pest Populations in Lowland Rice Fields, South Sumatra Applied Bioinsecticide from Entomopathogens

The pests that attack each plant phase also varies. The aimed of this study was to compare the main population of rice insect pests and ratooned in lowland rice field in the vegetative, flowering and milk ripening phase. The main bioinsecticide rice sprayed on rice canopy were comes from the entomopathogenic fungal conidia Metarhizium anisopliae, the entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, and as a control area without the application of bioinsecticide or synthetic insecticide. The results showed that population of fake white pests (Cnaphalocrosis medinalis) and white leafhoppers pest (Covana spectra) were more prevalent in vegetative phase rice compared to other types of pests such as green leafhoppers (Nephotettix spp.), Brown leafhoppers (Nilaparvata lugens), zig zag leafhoppers. (Recillia dorsalis), white-back leafhoppers (Sogatella furcifera), grasshoppers, mole cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa), and yellow rice stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas). The Leptocorisa acuta and green ladybugs (Nezara viridula) began to attack the flowering and milk ripening phase, which was when the rice was aged about 54-68 days after transplanting (dat). Whereas in ratooned rice, the pest population of L. acuta has appeared on the first observation on rice aged 9 days after harvest (dah) until the ratooned rice was aged 58 days after harvesting. The population of pests was higher in land without bioinsecticide application compared to land applied of bioinsecticides. In ratooned rice, the pest population between the land applied with bioinsecticide M. anisopliae and B. thuringiensis was not significantly different from the land applied by B. thuringiensis which was sold in the market

Entomopathogenic Fungi from South Sumatra (Indonesia) Pathogenicity to Egg, Larvae, and Adult of Aedes aegypti

Fungi from South Sumatra (Indonesia) were identified morphologically and molecularly, and their pathogenicity to egg, larvae, and adult Aedes aegypti was evaluated. The fungal isolates used for bioassay were 11 isolates from this study and 4 isolates from the laboratory collection. Fifteen isolates of five fungal species (Metarhizium anisopliae, Penicillium citrinum, Talaromyces diversus, Beauveria bassiana, and Purpureocillium lilacinum) from South Sumatra, Indonesia, were pathogenic to the egg, larvae, and adult of Ae. aegypti. Egg mortality caused by M. anisopliae isolate MSwTp3 was the highest (38.31%). A novel finding of this study was that the eggs exposed to the fungus not only killed the eggs but could continue to kill the emerging larvae, pupae, and adults. The five fungal species induced larval mortality between 52.22−94.44% and adult mortality between 50.00−92.22%. Fungal strains belonging to M. anisopliae, P. citrinum, T. diversus, and B. bassiana from South Sumatra seem to possess remarkable ovicidal, larvicidal and adulticidal activity against Ae. aegypti. M. anisopliae, P. citrinum, T. diversus, and B. bassiana had the potential as entomopathogens to be developed into ovicides, larvicides, and adulticides for controlling Ae. aegypti

Fecundity, Longevity, and Host Finding of Three Parasitoid Species of Liriomyza sativae

Liriomyza sativae is a polyphagous agromyzid leafminer and it has invaded large part of world, i.e Hemiptarsenus varicornis, Gronotoma micromorpha, and Opius dissitus. This research were conducted to investigate progeny, immature development period, longevity of female parasitoids of L. sativae, and to study female parasitoid behaviour in host finding. Host finding behaviour was observed by examining their visit frequency to the leaves that mined by leafminer larvae and healthy leaves. Results showed that H. varicornis produced more progenies (10.70 + 2.58 progenies/female), but not significantly different (P < 0.05) from progenies produced by G. micromorpha (9.90 + 3.81 progenies/female) and O. dissitus (9.60 + 3.31 progenies/female). The immature development period of G. micromorpha (25.65 + 0.38 days) was found to be longer than H. varicornis (16.14 ± 1.20 days) and O. dissitus (14.03 + 0.22 days). Significant different (P = 0.1014) of adult longevity was not found among H. varicornis (9.22 + 2.48 days), G. micromorpha (7.25 + 1.34 days), and O. dissitus (8.74 + 2.18 days). Our analyses also indicated that G. micromorpha and O. dissitus found their hosts based on the larvae mining, however, H. varicornis performed it randomly. Based on the number of progeny and longevity of adult female, all parasitoids tested may have a potential as biological control agents of leafminer, L. sativae