Occurrence of Bagworm and Nettle Caterpillar and Its Natural Enemies in Oil palm Plantation Planted with Turnera ulmifolia with Predatory Activities of Oecophylla smaragdina on the Bagworm

Mohd Azhar, Mansur (2022) Occurrence of Bagworm and Nettle Caterpillar and Its Natural Enemies in Oil palm Plantation Planted with Turnera ulmifolia with Predatory Activities of Oecophylla smaragdina on the Bagworm. [Final Year Project Report] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Turnera ulmifolia belongs to Turneraceae family and a perennial flower. It native to Caribbean area and widely used as a beneficial plant and acted as a biological control to overcome infestation of bagworms as the colour of flower was bright and had nectar contents, it attracted the natural enemies came over to get nectaries and attacked the bagworms. This study was carried out at the Felcra Samarahan Jaya Oil Palm Plantation in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, near Sungai Sui. The main objectives of this study were to assess the impact of Turnera ulmifolia on the populations of defoliate insects, bagworms as well as their natural enemies, in oil palm plantations. The sample results revealed a significant difference in the number of alive bagworms between plots T0 (without Turnera ulmifolia) and T1 (With Turnera ulmifolia). For the effect of planted Turnera ulmifolia on bagworm mortality over a four-week sampling period, the average number of dead bagworms in T0 was 64.75 and 83 in T1. This study also revealed the presence of natural enemies such as Pedeobius foveolatus, Cosmolestes picticeps, and Brachymera carnata. The most common bagworm species identified in this study were Pteroma pendula and Metisa plana. This study also discovered nettle caterpillars (Susica sp., unidentified species, and Birthosea sp.) in oil palm plantations. According to the findings of this study, planting a beneficial plant, Turnera ulmifolia, was effective in controlling defoliate insects, bagworm, and nettle caterpillars, as well as increasing the occurrence of its natural enemies.

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